Harry Potter and The World Reborn
by andelyn kinsey
Summary: The Second War has ended, and so much work is left still to do. Death Eaters are still at large, the Ministry and its laws are in disarray, families have been torn apart. Harry and his friends struggle to find their places in the new world.
1. Waking Up

**Waking Up**

"A Long December" Counting Crows

* * *

The walls seemed familiar, but definitely unwelcome. Too small and cramped, there was a musty, stale smell about the air, and spiders were hanging from the ceiling again. Harry watched as one dropped lower and lower toward him. Suddenly, it began to grow, changing from a small and harmless daddy long legs into a thick, black, hairy creature that he did not want to be trapped with. Harry noticed his surroundings changing as well. The unwelcome walls had vanished and were replaced with thick trees and darkness that made him feel as though a blanket had been thrown over him. He heard whispers beside him, and saw flashes of light in the distance. The spider that captured his focus, however, continued to grow until he could see the details of its eight eyes and each coarse strand of hair coating its body. As he tried to back away, it scuttled toward him and began to speak in a voice that made his hair stand on end.

"Do you think it is over?" The high voice sneered. "It will never be over, not until I have finished with you, Harry Potter. And when I have finished with you, I will finish with everyone else who has tried to defy me!"

_No_, Harry thought as he backed away. _This is impossible_. The Horcruxes were destroyed; he had made sure of it. Voldemort only mentioned seven. Seven, the most magically powerful number. This couldn't be.....there couldn't be anymore!

His legs continued to carry him backward, his attention solely focused on the spider which was still morphing and changing. It continued to grow, larger and larger, and then suddenly it reared up on its two back legs. The front legs, pinchers, and eight terrifying eyes rearranged themselves into black robes, with a hood covering a white, snake-like face. The red eyes glowed from under the hood and he could hear ragged, excited breathing coming from the figure.

Voldemort had been reborn, again.

Harry groped blindly for his wand; the Elder Wand had not yet been returned to its rightful owner, which meant he should have two to choose from to defend himself. His pockets, shirt, and belt of his jeans were all empty. How had he become unarmed?

"Do you turn to run? Or will you face me like a man so I can kill you at last?" Voldemort laughed, raising his own wand. Upon a closer look, Harry saw that _he_ had the Elder Wand. Harry reached for his neck, feeling from the outside of the Mokeskin pouch he had received from Hagrid the broken pieces of the Phoenix Wand. He was defenseless.

The whispers grew louder, sneering and laughing as he retreated back from his enemy. Still trying to wrap his overstressed mind around how this situation could possibly be, Harry took in each of their faces. Bellatrix Lestrange stood out the most, her dark, thick hair a mess with twigs and leaves. Along side her were the werewolf Greyback, the Carrows, and Yaxley. Walden McNair stood along side Lucius Malfoy, sneering in Harry's direction, and Dolores Umbridge laughed in her little girl voice at his fear.

Umbridge? What was she doing here? She was not an admitted Death Eater and, from what Harry knew of her, would probably run screaming at the site of Voldemort in the flesh. She wasn't the only one who seemed out of place. Further back along his retreat he saw the familiar faces of Professor McGonagall, Slughorn, and all the Weasley's; their faces frozen in horror and shock. Ron and Hermione stood along side Neville, Luna, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Ernie MacMillan, all of whom seemed to be shouting silently at him. He could hear no sound other than Voldemort's ragged, excited breathing as he stalked after him, and the whispered taunts and laughter from the Death Eaters. At the sight of his friends and family, still supporting and waiting to fight with him, Harry slowed his retreat to a stop.

Time seemed to stand still and Harry saw several things happen at once. Distracted by a flutter of movement from the ranks at their sides, Voldemort shot a jet of red light from the Elder Wand toward the crowd, the spell flying toward a figure that had broken out of line. Ginny Weasley was running toward Harry, screaming a silent plea for him to run away. Hermione and Ron had begun to follow her, but were hit and knocked back by Voldemort's spell while Ginny raced forward. Harry froze and motioned frantically for her to stop; he wanted Voldemort no closer to the people he loved. She continued on, moving to place herself between him and Voldemort. When Voldemort realized her intent he laughed, and the cold raspy sound pierced the air as he raised his wand and brought it down, beginning to shout the curse Harry had escaped too many times.

"GINNY, NO!" Harry had screamed, but she seemed unable to hear him. Ginny's eyes were alight with fear and anger; she was entirely set on preventing Voldemort from attacking Harry. But she couldn't do this; it was him, Harry, who must die, not the precious, beautiful girl who was his reason for staying sane.

"GINNY!" he screamed again. He had to move between them. He wouldn't let her do this- he would throw her out of the way by force if necessary- but his feet wouldn't move. "GINNY, NO! STOP!" Harry screamed. He tried to move but his feet were like lead, and they held him to the spot at which he had frozen upon first seeing her. Voldemort heard his screams and smiled, knowing that this would cause Harry more pain than death ever could.

The tip of the Elder Wand began to glow a sickening bright green, and Harry heard the Unforgivable Curse coming from the high, cold voice he hated more than anything in the world.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"GINNY!" Harry screamed, terror and anger finally allowing his feet to move forward.

"It's time you learned the difference between dreams and reality, Potter," the low, familiar voice of Severus Snape stated, speaking the words that were familiar to him from a different time and place. Harry was too terrified to understand the meaning of them. What was happening couldn't be a dream, it was a nightmare.

"GINNY, STOP! NOOOO!"

Harry's eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright in bed, hearing his own screams break the silence around him. He found himself in unfamiliar surroundings again. The room was light, but he was shut in by red fabric hanging on all sides of him, and he was also sitting on a much too comfortable surface. As he was wiping the sweat from his forehead he realized where he was. Pulling open the curtains that contained his four-poster bed in the Gryffindor dormitory, he gazed, relieved, at his surroundings. _A dream_, he told himself. _This is reality_. His breath came slow and deep, calming him after the nightmare. Trying desperately to shake the dream from his mind, he heard another familiar, but unexpected, voice speak as he floundered around for his glasses.

"Master Harry is finally awake. Kreacher was beginning to worry," the deep voice said. Harry looked up to see the house-elf he acquired upon Sirius' death staring at him with a concerned look in his eyes. "Pascal had come to Gryffindor tower to drop off clothes for Master Harry and the other guests who have come back to Hogwarts. Pascal told Kreacher that Master Harry was distressed. Perhaps you is in need of more rest Master? Kreacher did not mean to be noisy."

"Kreacher!" Harry exclaimed, still trying to shake off the dream. "No, you didn't wake me. Who is Pasacl? Wha….how….what time is it? What day is it?"

"It is 11 o'clock in the morning on May the fifth . Pascal is a Hogwarts house-elf. Master Harry has missed breakfast, but Kreacher would be happy to fetch him pastries, toast, or something to eat from the kitchens."

"No, not now Kreacher, thank you." Harry didn't feel like eating. May fifth-, he'd been asleep for almost two days since the battle. "Kreacher, can you tell me what happened while I was sleeping? What happened to the other Death Eaters? How many are dead? Is everyone still here, or have they been sent home?" Harry asked. He wondered vaguely what he would have to face when he did decide to make an appearance.

The house elf shook his head, and said, "Kreacher doesn't know for sure Master Harry. Kreacher has been busy helping the professors with repairs and making sure the castle occupants are happy and comfortable. Perhaps Kreacher could fetch one of Master Harry's friends and they could give him the correct answers?"

"No, Kreacher, you don't need to do that," Harry said. He suddenly felt a little guilty. After all, Kreacher must have felt slightly abandoned when he, Ron, and Hermione had did not return to Grimmauld Place after the fiasco at the Ministry. "When did you come back to Hogwarts? Are you alright? I'm sorry we didn't come back, Yaxley held onto Hermione's coat as we Disapparated and-" He started to explain, but the elf cut Harry off.

"Master Harry does not need to apologize," Kreacher said with a smile. Harry noticed that even though it wasn't the most attractive smile, the elf was truly happy. "Miss Hermione explained what happened to Master Harry and Kreacher is not upset. Kreacher is just glad to see his Master awake and in good health. He would feel better if Master Harry ate something."

"Right," Harry said, but he still had questions. "What happened to you when we didn't come back?"

"Kreacher was busy making supper for Master Harry and his friends when a man burst through the door of Grimmauld Place. He yelled for Master Harry to show himself, and Kreacher knew he couldn't stay. Kreacher came to Hogwarts because that was where Master Harry had asked him to come the previous year, before his return to Grimmauld Place. Kreacher waited to hear from Master Harry; things inside the castle were frightening. The house-elves stayed hidden mostly, only coming to clean and prepare meals. We heard tale of Master Harry's brave rescue of Dobby and his kindness to Dobby. We house-elves are ever grateful to Master Harry for what has been done for our kind." Kreacher finished his brief tale and looked at Harry as though he was looking at the sun shining. Hearing Kreacher talk about Dobby did not, however, make Harry feel any better. The elf seemed to notice the quiet guilt seeping through his mind and continued.

"Master Harry should not feel sad. He has saved many from suffering and death through his bravery. Kreacher has only heard talk of how great Master Harry is from the occupants of Hogwarts. All who wait below are anxious to greet and to praise Master Harry for his valiant defeat of the Dark Lord. Master Harry has no reason to feel ashamed," Kreacher said, and the concern and kindness in the elf's voice made Harry's eyes water.

"Thanks Kreacher," Harry said thickly. Kreacher's attitude and mannerisms had improved even more since the last time Harry had saw him. He vaguely wondered if he was now channeling Dobby's spirit.

Harry's cleared his throat and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Getting to his feet and stretching made him feel rested, but his mind was still tired. "I suppose food would do me some good; it's almost lunch time. I think I'll clean up and head down to the Great Hall, Kreacher."

Kreacher bowed, "Should you need anything Master Harry, please just call Kreacher." And with that he bounced out the door and on his way.

Harry sat down on the edge of his bed and looked around the familiar room. A feeling of peace settled through him as he remembered the past few days. It was over, it was really over. No more looking for Horcruxes or running from Death Eaters. No more camping in unknown places or starving when food ran low. Nothing to fight against, but yet, still so much to do. There would be funerals for Fred, Tonks, Lupin and all the rest who had died in the battle, but when and where would they take place? Before he had gone to sleep he remembered news coming in that Kinglsey would be Minister of Magic, which meant he needn't worry about what was happening there. No one would need to hide anymore- Hermione could go find her parents and remove the memory charm, and Harry could try to reach his aunt and uncle to let them know they could come out of hiding. Thinking of them brought back the dream though, the cupboard he slept in for so long being the beginning of it. He shook the thought off and smiled as he considered not letting them know that the war was over and he was no longer a marked man. But then he remembered Dudley shaking his hand and saying, "_I don't think you're a waste of space_," and thought better of himself. He did laugh out loud, though, when he decided to send the letter advising the Dursley's of their freedom by owl post.

Sometime later, after a shower, a poor attempt to cut his shaggy black hair and shave the stubble that had become thick on his face, Harry dressed himself and made his way down to the Great Hall. Food would definitely be a good thing for him. His stomach was now growling. He also realized the jeans he was wearing, that had once had fit him quite well, now hung on his hips like Dudley's old jeans had. The castle seemed empty and quiet, though the disarray and destruction from the battle two nights before was obvious. Some portraits were in ruins, the inhabitants moved onto other locations, suits of armor lay on their sides and rubble was strewn throughout the hallways. It was a Tuesday, but classes had obviously been cancelled due to the battle, and half of the student body was now at home with their parents. The hallways were eerily quiet. Harry was not sure what would greet him when he entered the Great Hall- how many people were still at Hogwarts? He knew he must reach there eventually, but decided to take his time doing so. As he walked along he ran through the events of the last year obsessively.

His seventeenth birthday seemed like ages ago, and it was a shock to suddenly realize he'd be eighteen in two months time. Memories of his parents came up, as they had walked along beside him before he faced Voldemort in the forest. Sirius and Lupin also walking alongside him, both his surrogate father figures, now gone…. Fred, Tonks, Colin Creevy and how many others dead by the hands of Death Eaters? Robbed of lives they had only just begun. His friends, his family, gone again. He shook his head trying to stave off the emotions that threatened to break his resolve. Parts of him desperately wanted to run away and never face anyone again; the other half ached to be with the people he loved to deal with the grief threatening to consume him.

As thoughts of the ones who had passed and the ones who may still be at large crowded their way through his overtired and stressed mind, he looked up and noticed he was passing by the familiar tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. He remembered the incident in the Room of Requirement, and the horrible fire destroying the diadem for him. The spell Crabbe had cast would have surely destroyed the room, Harry was sure, but he couldn't help but wonder. The room had been of such use to him, and to Neville and the other students of Hogwarts who had rebelled against Voldemort's tyranny the past year. It was a pity if it was no longer in existence.

Despite his better judgment, Harry began to think, _I need the room of hidden things……I need the room of hidden things…_

Slowly, a door began to appear in the solid brick wall. It was charred, singed and blackened from the cursed fire spell. Harry backed away quickly, half afraid that the door would burst open and unleash the flames from inside the room into the castle. Nothing happened; the door remained in tact as it always was. Nothing came out, not even smoke. Curious, Harry approached and placed his hand upon the handle. It wasn't hot; he moved his hands along the edges of the door trying to feel any remnants of heat. It felt rough and burnt, but cool as any other door he had come across on his walk. He slowly pulled the handle down and opened the door to the room that had been both a place of safe harbor and one of destruction.

His eyes met a site that was not surprising to him at all. Smoldering remains were all that was left of the items that had been hidden by countless ages of students there. Charred pages of books, burnt edges of cabinets, pieces of bent metal still glowed from the heat of the fire, and the ashes of items completely destroyed towered in pillars around him. Harry glanced around, only to find that nothing was left, nothing to be salvaged. He knew there was no way they would ever be able to find Crabbe's body, not that he cared, but he wondered if it might be of importance to his parents. He walked through the remains, the towers of rubble surrounding him on either side, and he thought about the extraordinary magic of the room. As he wondered whether or not he should go back into the hall and then access the room created for the DA, something caught his attention.

Lying on its side was a burnt and blackened cabinet, and a few feet from it was the charred partial mannequin of an ugly warlock upon which he had perched the diadem of Ravenclaw to mark the spot of his hidden Potions book. This was done before he realized the diadem was a Horcrux, before he even realized what it was at all.

The Half-Blood Prince! The book had helped him make such an impression on Slughorn, and had then turned around and caused mayhem when he used the then unknown spell on Draco Malfoy. It had belonged to Snape, and at the time realizing that fact had angered and disgusted Harry. Now, after seeing Snape's memories and realizing the extraordinary danger he put himself in to help protect Harry, he didn't feel such animosity. Curious, he bent over the cabinet and opened it, just to see what had become of the book.

Remarkably, it was still intact. The pages and edges of the book singed, but the book itself was whole. It lay open to a page describing the effects of the Amortentia potion, reminding him of the scent of the potion brewed in Slughorn's classroom; the flowery scent that he now realized belonged to Ginny. _Ginny……_

His heart rate picked up as he thought of her. Hopefully she was in the Great Hall with the others, but then it slowed again as he thought of facing everyone.

He reached out and picked up the book, flipping through the pages at the familiar cramped writing. As he turned through the pages, his desire to become an Auror was awakened and he remembered that Potions would be an essential part of that career. Pocketing the book for his own use, he stood and gazed around at the room again, deciding he could no longer postpone the moment. It was time to face his peers and see what the day, and the future, would bring for him. The image of Ginny's face glided back into the front of his mind, his longing to see her properly for the first time in ten months intensified. With a final glance around the room, he walked out the door, closed it behind him, and headed toward the Great Hall.


	2. Appearances

Appearances

"Don't Panic," **Coldplay**

* * *

The light of midday shone through the windows of the castle as Harry walked on toward his destination. A few were broken out, though the glass had been cleared away, and the doors to classrooms were off their hinges and broken in some spots. Remarkably enough, most of the damage seemed to have been repaired. There was no rubble left on the floors as he drew closer to the hall. In fact, except for the absence of students chattering and bustling about, the castle looked the same to him as it had every other day he'd spent inside its walls. Harry felt a sense of calm settle over him again, and he realized there was nothing to run from because he was home, and where he belonged.

The closer to the Great Hall he was, the louder the noise level, and the external damage to the castle was more apparent. There were cracks in the walls; one section was completely blown away giving him a spectacular view of the lake and the Forbidden Forest beyond it. The doors to the Great Hall were off their hinges, and broken in some parts, but otherwise it looked the same. The enchanted ceiling showed a sunny, cloudless day over the students, teachers, and families that sat at the four tables in the hall. No one was sitting by House any longer. If Harry hadn't known any of them he, wouldn't have been unable to tell that there were separate houses within the school at all. Despite the events of the past few days, the noise was happy and laughter echoed out a few times as he stood back from the doorway gazing upon the scene.

Hagrid and Professor McGonagall were sitting in the front of the room at the table, both talking with several people at once. Professors Slughorn, Flitwick, and Sprout were in their usual spots, as were a few other teachers who remained behind. On the main floor, Neville was seated next to Dean, Luna, Seamus, and Hannah Abbott, who were talking about something animatedly and laughing. Further down the bench, he saw Terry Boot and Michael Corner sitting with Cho Chang, Oliver Wood and several members of Harry's Quidditch team. There were several people he didn't recognize, but then he realized they were the families of some of the students. Both Muggle and Wizarding families were sitting together, eating, talking, laughing, and discussing the events of the past days. A somber tone seemed to linger, but there were smiles coming from a majority of the crowd. Harry's chest began to ache again, the emotion he was holding in threatening to burst out as he watched people embrace each other and shake hands as more people came through what seemed to be a missing wall on the West end of the room. He remembered the acromantulas breaking through with the Death Eaters, and shuddered, trying to push the memory from his head. He scanned the scene further, and his eyes finally rested on the people he sought the most.

Molly Weasley sat next to her husband, her head resting on his shoulder. She had a small smile upon her face but her eyes looked swollen and tired, and her hair was lank and a little disheveled. Arthur had his arm around her shoulders and rested his head upon hers as he talked with this oldest son, Bill, who sat across the table from them. Badly scarred from Greyback's attack the year prior, he looked just as he did when Harry first met him: long red hair tied back in a pony tail and a fang earring dangling from his left ear. Fleur Delacour, his wife, sat next to him, one hand holding his and one hand reaching out holding Molly's across the table. Her beautiful face had tear tracks, but she wore a kind smile and was participating in the conversation they were having. Harry thought that he probably should get used to referring to her as Fleur Weasley, rather than Delacour. Charlie sat next to Percy and George, who were all silently listening to the conversation next to them. Percy had his arm around his mother's shoulders as well, and his eyes too looked a little swollen. Angelina Johnson was seated next to George and had her arms wrapped tenderly around his shoulders; she had tears in her eyes as George laid his head against her shoulder and held one of her hands. Across the table, close enough to hear what was being said but far enough away that they had privacy, were Ron and Hermione. Ron was straddling the bench and Hermione had her legs draped over one of his legs facing him. Harry saw him lower his head to rest it against her chest and she wrapped her arms around him and stroked his hair lovingly; she too had tears in her eyes though she was smiling. He saw her lips move as she said something to Ron that made him chuckle, but Harry couldn't hear what it was from where he was standing. As he watched the scene, the familiar divide inside him rose up again, but he held himself to the spot, thinking he was too close to them all to run away now. He noticed that there was one Weasley missing, and Harry scanned the crowd for her as he took a few steps forward.

Ginny suddenly stepped out from a doorway toward the North end of the hall. She was carrying what appeared to be tissues and a few drinks. Harry watched, entranced by her appearance, as she approached her family and passed the drinks out and the tissues. She stood behind her mother in the center aisle of the hall and laid her head against her mother's hair. Seeing her was like seeing a ray of sunshine for the first time in ten months. He reprimanded himself again for never really appreciating how stunningly beautiful she was. Molly reached up with one hand and patted her daughter's cheek, and then said something but Harry still couldn't hear. He realized suddenly that he couldn't hear much of anything, like the Muffliato charm had been cast in his direction. He felt wetness suddenly running down his cheek, and raised his hand to wipe away the tears that finally began to run over as he watched the people he cared about most in the world grieve their losses. He felt ashamed and scared, and began suddenly to loose his resolve. He wanted again to run back to the dormitory and hide away. Perhaps Kreacher's suggestion of bringing him food in his room wasn't such a bad idea. As he thought this, Ginny lifted her head and swung her long red hair back behind her shoulder.

Harry stopped and held his breath, and he realized that the only thing he could do to make things right was walk through the door and speak to the people he loved and cared for. He took two steps in, and suddenly Ginny looked up at him.

The moment their eyes met, Harry saw what he'd always been searching for deep inside: Home. He looked around and realized that the Weasley's, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and all his friends were his family in more ways than they would ever fully realize. And staring back at him, her brown eyes lighting up, was the person whose memory he'd kept reaching for when he was desperate to feel hopeful.

As Harry took another step forward, he randomly became concerned about his appearance. He wished he wouldn't have cut his hair himself as he noticed his blurry reflection in one of the tall stained glass windows and realized that, although it always stuck up in the back, it was now much worse. His face still had a thick five o'clock shadow around his jaw that made him look like a vagrant. To top all this, he knew he still had tears running down his cheeks and his eyes were probably red from lack of sleep and stress. Why this mattered to him now, when he was staring at the person he'd been longing to see, he wasn't quite sure, but it kept his feet glued to the ground again. Just like in his nightmare.

"Harry," Ginny breathed, just loud enough that everyone near her turned and looked in his direction. Ron and Hermione stood up, as did Mr. and , George, Hagrid and Professor McGonagall. This drew the gaze of everyone else in the hall, who all turned in his direction and stared at him as well. No one said a word, and the silence pressed in upon Harry's ears. Harry stood motionless in the entrance to the hall, scared to death to move forward but also desperate for someone to reach out to him.

"Harry," Ginny said again, louder this time. She took a few steps toward him as though she sensed his hesitancy to come into the room. She had walked about five steps when Harry's feet finally unglued themselves and he walked, almost ran, straight toward her. As the gap closed between them, he reached out and she threw herself into his arms, wrapping hers around his neck tightly.

He pulled her close, aligning her body with his; he almost wanted to pull her inside himself just to be closer to her. He buried his face in her long hair and inhaled deeply, trying to memorize her scent again. The softness of her hair against his face was comforting and his fear about their reunion, as well as his reunion with all those who sat watching them, seemed to fade away at her touch. His arms tightened around her waist and he felt tears of happiness run down his cheeks, becoming slightly embarrassed at his lack of control over them. There was still silence in the hall, though it wasn't as pressing as before. It was a relieved silence that Harry didn't recognize, for he hadn't heard such a thing in a long time. Ginny ran her fingers through his hair and tightened her arms around his neck. She was straining on her tip toes to reach up to him. He had forgotten how much shorter she was than him. He leaned back and lifted her off her feet so their faces were right next to each other.

She suddenly turned her head and put her hands on both sides of his face, turning his head so she could look him in the eyes. He could see they were watery, which almost made them more beautiful. Their brightness and color reminded him of leaves in the fall. She stared at him for a few seconds and then leaned in and pressed her lips to his quickly, but with enough force and emotion that Harry felt unfamiliar warmth spread throughout his body. After she kissed him, she pulled back and set herself on the floor again. Still staying within his arms, she backed away a bit so she was better able to look at him. He was reminded of Mrs. Weasley holding him at arm's length every time she saw him, almost sizing him up so she could comment on how under-fed he was. Finally she spoke, breaking the silence that had persisted since he entered the hall.

"Harry…Are you all right?" she asked, her eyes piercing into his soul.

He glanced quickly around him, but brought his eyes back to hers again before he spoke.

"Is everyone here all right?" he asked thickly. He wasn't sure if his voice sounded like that from lack of use or from the emotions he was trying to keep constricted.

Ginny rolled her eyes but it was her father who answered. "We're fine Harry, we're all fine".

"Right," he said. He looked down at Ginny again, who obviously was not going to let him out of the question so easily. He thought hard about the question she asked of him.

"I'm not all right, but I will be," he answered, echoing the words Hagrid had said to him after Sirius had died.

This seemed like a good enough answer for her for the moment. She nodded and began to walk backwards, pulling him further into the hall, all the while keeping a grip on his shoulders and his hands around her waist. Hermione and Ron both reached out for him when they got close.

"Harry, you slept for so long- you must be hungry," Hermione said, as she hugged him tightly with one arm. Ginny had moved aside but kept a grip on his hand as Ron kept one arm on Hermione's back. It felt like all four of them were trying to form a human chain.

"I'm not sure what I am, Hermione, to be honest," he said, laughing lightly.

Ron chuckled as well. "We wondered when you'd be up and about, mate. I thought about waking you up but I figured you needed the sleep," he said, also reaching out to hug him.

"I did. Thanks for not waking me," Harry said, patting Ron on the back. No one else said anything, but they were all smiling at him. He glanced at the lunch that lay awaiting him on the table as everyone slowly resumed their conversations. Harry sat down next to Ron and Hermione and pulled Ginny close to him. She stood and stroked his hair as he laid his head against her stomach. For a long time they stayed like this without saying a word, as Harry wasn't sure what to say. He listened to the conversations going on around him. Neville was discussing his successful use of Mandrakes and Devil's Snare during the battle, while the rest of the group was admiring his triumphant emergence from the Sorting Hat with Gryffindor's sword. Bill, Mr. Weasley and Percy seemed to be discussing arrangements for the upcoming funerals. Harry felt a pang of guilt and sadness at this topic, so he focused on other conversations. Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick were discussing what remained to be repaired in the castle and what would be done with the bodies of the deceased.

"Did you try and cut it?" Ginny suddenly questioned, trying to hide the laughter in her voice. It was obvious she'd been wondering, he had felt her pick up and examine the uneven sections of his black hair. Harry nodded.

"I had Mum cut mine. I'm sure she can clean it up a bit," Ron added, trying to suppress a giggle. Harry heard Hermione shush him, but he could also tell she was trying not to laugh.

"It was worse before I cut it," he said, trying to convince them. Everyone around him who had been listening to the conversation giggled, and Angelina pulled out a mirror and handed it to him so he could look at it properly. The sides were completely uneven, and one was much shorter than the other. His bangs hung in his eyes and the back, which usually stuck straight up, was lying down, though it was jumbled and tousled every which way.

"I really don't think you look all that different from normal, Harry," George said. "Though it does look like you had a run in with a pair of dull scissors in the back."

Harry tried to examine the back of his head further with the mirror, but realized he didn't care anymore. He would have someone fix it later; all that mattered now to him was that no one seemed to be angry or holding a grudge against him. He started to feel more at peace and pulled Ginny down to sit in his lap. He suddenly realized that her parents and brothers were probably watching them, but he was so relieved to have her in his arms he didn't care. He didn't want to let her go, now that he had her back.

"Harry, dear." Mrs. Weasley's soft voice interrupted the brief silence. "Please eat something. You too, Ron, Hermione. All three of you look so skinny it's worrying me to death." As she said this, Harry's appetite returned suddenly and he nodded. He started putting food on his plate, and the smells began to overwhelm him. Fresh cut roast and ham, fresh fruit and vegetables, bread and different puddings; they all were a welcome scent after fish and various mushrooms for so long. There were desserts on the table, but real food itself was the only thing Harry seemed to want. He ate in silence, realizing at last just how hungry he was.

He was finished long after everyone else was, surprisingly comfortable with them all watching him eat. Conversation was taking place, but it was scattered among moments of silence. A pressing question had been on his mind since he woke up, and he found it could no longer be stifled.

"What happened while I've been asleep?" He asked to no one in particular. "How much repair does the castle need? Hermione, have you contacted your parents? How many are…" He stuttered, trying to speak the word. "d….dead? Where is Voldemort?"

Mr. Weasley responded first. "Harry, there are around fifty students dead. The parents have been contacted and have been coming and going. There are still a lot of decisions to be made, but don't worry about that for now. The Heads of Houses are arranging things with the families. It sounds like there will be a wake here at Hogwarts to honor them," he said very calmly, but also making it clear that he didn't want Harry to worry.

Harry looked over at Mrs. Weasley, who had dropped her head with tears in her eyes. "Mrs. Weasley, I'm –"

"Don't apologize, Harry" she interrupted. "You are the reason we are all here now, and that is all that matters. I don't think anyone here can find the right words to express our gratitude for what you've done," she said thickly, reaching out her hand to take his.

He nodded, and then noticed Professor McGonagall approaching. He started to stand, but she placed her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back down. "Harry, please sit. You look much too tired to be worrying about all of this. But to answer your questions, arrangements are being made for those who died and we will all be filled in on the final details sometime within the next few days. As far as Voldemort, his body has been moved to the Slytherin common room and locked away. I believe the best way to dispose of it will be to burn it, but Kinglsey and the remaining Aurors are discussing the matter," she said, trying without success to hide her disgust at the thought of Voldemort's body still present in the castle. "The castle needs repairs, but it is nothing that we cannot handle. We're all going to stay here for a while to fix and repair it for the next school year, and decide other matters, but whenever you wish to leave you may do so," she explained in her usual precise manner. Harry was amazed at her ability to keep such a cool head no matter what was happening around her.

"No, Professor, I'm going to stay and help. Besides, I'm not entirely sure where I can go," he admitted.

"You'll be coming to our house, you git," said Ron indignantly, rolling his eyes and laughing.

"It's probably is safe for you to go back to Grimmauld Place, Harry. There's no need to hide anymore," added Hermione. "As far as my parents go, I'm going to stay for a few weeks but then I'll be leaving for Australia to find them. I want to make sure that I'm back for school, come September."

Ron shook his head while continuing to hold onto Hermione's hands as she explained her plans. "I'm planning on going with, mind you, and I'm not going to be in any rush to get back for school," he added.

"Well, we can talk about it later," Hermione said, blushing a little. "What about your aunt and uncle, Harry? Are you going to contact them?"

Harry smiled. "Yes, it's probably wrong of me to let them sit and hide for much longer. But I'm not going to visit, I'm just going to send an owl- they will love that." He added, laughing along with everyone else who knew anything about the Dursley's.

It was amazing to Harry that there was this much happiness after so much tragedy. Louder, more rambunctious conversations resumed as people returned to their own worlds. Finished with his lunch, Harry turned to look at Ginny.

"Are you all right?" he asked her, reaching up to brush her hair away from her face so he could look at her properly.

She smiled and put her hand against his, "I'm fine. We're all fine, Harry, really," she said consolingly.

"Ginny," he started to say. He wasn't sure how to form what he felt with words, or if this was even the right time to try to convey how much joy he felt being back in her presence. He looked into her brown eyes and mustered up all his courage, but all that came out was, "I…I missed you…so much."

She smiled and placed her hand alongside his face, brushing another tear that had snuck out off his cheek. "I know…I'm here now. You don't have to miss me anymore," she told him quietly.

He smiled and understood what she meant. There was almost an unspoken communication between them that told him what had happened the last year didn't matter. It was like they had picked up right where they were before Dumbledore's funeral. She leaned in to kiss him and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, thinking that if this was the only place he was ever allowed to go again, he would be perfectly content.

"Oh my goodness," a small voice whispered, bursting with excitement. "When did this start?" Mrs. Weasley leaned over and asked her youngest son, trying to keep quiet. Harry then realized it was very hard to continue kissing when both parties were trying not to burst into giggles.

* * *


	3. The Harrowing History of Harry Potter

The Harrowing History of Harry Potter

"Goodbye Sky Harbor" Jimmy Eat World

* * *

Evening fell quickly upon the castle, the setting sun melting into the horizon giving everything in its light a peaceful orange glow. The afternoon meal had been cleared away, and all who remained in the castle were deciding what steps to take next. Over the afternoon, the remaining rubble had been cleared away and the doors to the Entrance Hall repaired quickly through some handy Transfiguration work by Professor McGonagall. Mrs. Weasley organized a group of remaining students to help the house-elves who were now cleaning the newly replaced walls and finishing clearing up the debris that was left over from the repairs. Kingsley Shacklebolt had arrived late in the afternoon from London with a group of Aurors who were assisting in cleaning up the school.

"Harry, glad to see you up and about," greeted Kingsley, shaking his hand. "Ron, Hermione, Arthur, Molly, everyone," He continued speaking to those who had come to the gates upon his arrival.

"Let me introduce the newly assembled Auror team," he said, indicating the wizards who stood on either side of him. "You know Proudfoot," Kingsley continued, indicating the wizard standing at his left. "This is Gideon Lansing, from Ireland on a recommendation in Mad-Eye's will. He will be head of the reformed department," he said, indicating a young, dark-haired wizard standing to his right. "Sabrina Lutz, from the Office of Magical Law Enforcement," Kingsley indicated the tall female Auror standing in the back, "And Timothy Holcombe from the Auror office in America," indicating the final wizard in the group, who was tall with shaggy hair that fell into his eyes. "We've only just gotten to know each other, but we are at your service Minerva, and will assist with whatever needs to be done," he offered as they all started to walk back up to the castle together.

"Yes, Kingsley, thank you. I daresay you are busy trying to reorganize things at the Ministry as well, so we'll get right to it," Professor McGonagall explained in a very business-like tone. "Firstly, we've isolated Voldemort's body, but I would really rather something be done with it. Honestly, it is too macabre to keep it in the castle any longer and from what I know of the escaped Death Eaters, I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to acquire it at some point," she said, shuddering at the thought.

Her statement regarding escaped Death Eaters caught Harry off guard. "Kingsley, how many escaped exactly? Or don't we know?" he asked, walking quickly behind them.

"Harry, we got most of them, captured right after the battle," Kingsley assured. "We know for a fact that the Carrows, Rodolphus Lestrange, Travers, and Lucius Malfoy escaped along with a few other unidentified wizards, but we're not panicking at this point. They'd be completely mad to try anything this soon after Voldemort's defeat," he added, raising his eyebrows. "But I agree with Minerva, the sooner Voldemort's body is gone the better for us all. Put an end to this for good, it's been nineteen years coming," he finished. Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement.

"I'll ask Hagrid to fetch the body, then, and we'll move it to the grounds and….dispose of it….burning would be best, don't you think?" she asked, looking around at everyone for moral support. Everyone nodded; it was clearly something that no one wanted to think about.

"If burning is the way we want to go, I would suggest breaking tradition and using the cursed fire spell," the shaggy-haired Auror piped up from behind Harry and Ron. "For something of this magnitude I think that would be the best way since the damage it inflicts is irreparable."

The party slowed its pace as the idea settled in on their ears; Hermione's face was white with shock and fear. Ron reached up to take her hand in a gesture of comfort, but Harry saw in his eyes that he was just as uncomfortable with the idea as she was. Harry, however, turned to look at the Auror with questions racing through his mind.

"Holcombe, right?" Harry asked, slowing his pace so he was right next to the wizard.

"Yes, call me Tim. It's an honor to meet you. I know a little about the background of this from our history classes at Morgana School in the States. It's quite an ordeal you've been through," he said, shaking Harry's hand as they walked.

"You're talking about Fiendfyre, right? Can you control it?" asked Harry, unable to keep the doubt from leaking into his voice.

"Yes, actually I can," said Tim, a little defiantly. "We had advanced training with the spell after a few wizards attacked our government offices and destroyed half the building. We learned how to control it and how to stop it when it was cast against us," he added.

"We could have used you a few nights ago," Ron added, shaking his head and trying, Harry assumed, to rid himself of the memory of the awful fire in the Room of Requirement.

"Tim, yes, that may be the case," Kingsley added. "But I, however, feel rather uncomfortable with it. I think perhaps a regular fire spell would suffice, don't you all agree?" he asked, looking around at the group. They had now reached the Entrance Hall and were paused outside the door.

"I actually agree with Tim," Harry spoke up when he saw the others in the group nodding in agreement with Kinsley. "Something that renders the object irreparable would be the only way to really make sure this is over," he explained, looking around at their shocked faces.

Professor McGonagall stared at him. "Potter," she said, and then paused, trying to keep the disciplinarian from coming out in her voice. "Harry, I know you have been through quite a bit within the last year and have much experience in fighting the Dark Arts because of it, but don't you think we ought to trust our Minister's judgment?" she added, indicating Kingsley to her right.

"It's not a question of trusting Kingsley's judgment, because I do. It's just…." He paused, unsure how to word what he was trying to explain. He looked to Ron and Hermione for help.

"Harry, perhaps since this is all over now, we can talk about what Dumbledore left for us to do?" Hermione offered, realizing suddenly where his thoughts were taking him. Ron caught on as well and nodded in agreement.

Harry nodded. "Yeah that would explain a lot of things, probably. Can we start there and then decide?" he asked to the group as a whole.

"Yes, perhaps that would be best, Harry," Professor McGonagall stated. "I believe its safe now to disclose the information you were working on from Dumbledore. I daresay it would help us to understand what happened here a few nights ago." With that, the group entered into the Great Hall.

There weren't many people left, the families of deceased students were either staying in Hogsmeade or had retreated to the dormitories and Common Rooms of the Houses. Those remaining in the Great Hall were Professors Slughorn and Flitwick, Neville, Luna, Hagrid and the remaining Weasleys. As they walked into the hall, Kinglsey arranged the benches appropriately so they could all sit. Professor McGonagall indicated that Harry, Ron and Hermione should approach the front of the room so everyone could hear them. The remaining crowd gathered around and sat down to listen. Ron and Hermione approached the front and sat down in chairs usually occupied by the Hogwarts staff during meals; they both looked a bit uncomfortable in the spotlight. Harry had paused by Ginny; she was giving him a quizzical look. He kissed her forehead quickly and approached the front, clearing his throat before he began retelling the story.

"Most of you know that Dumbledore gave me a mission prior to his death last June," Harry began, looking around at his audience. "He instructed me to only confide the details to Ron and Hermione at the time. I think he knew that there was no way I was taking off to go anywhere without them coming, and the information he gave us put us in danger. Plus I think he felt, and I agree, that this isn't information that we want spread around. I'm assuming you will all agree to keep the details of this story amongst yourselves only?" he asked as they all nodded.

"To start, I want to apologize for anytime that I…" he paused seeing Ron and Hermione's expressions, their thoughts outwardly apparent in each of their eyes. "I mean…apologize for anytime that _we_ may have put you under stress or caused you worry because of this. We were just following Dumbledore's instructions." The crowd nodded obliviously, Harry knew that what he was saying was going to be clear as mud until he got the main component of the story out of the way. He took a deep breath, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"How many of you know what a Horcrux is?"

He had expected a reaction, and was not disappointed. All the Aurors' eyes widened in shock, Kingsley cursed under his breath while McGonagall uttered a small groan. Flitwick shook his head, and Slughorn hung his head into his hands in shame. The remaining listeners, however, looked confused as they glanced from the trio up front to the reactions of the others in the hall.

"Right, um…." Harry continued. He wanted to make sure that he explained, especially to Slughorn, who looked like he was about to break into tears, that Voldemort had discovered this information on his own. "Hermione, you um….do you want to explain this? You are much better at definitions than I am," he added beseechingly.

"All right. You may have to help me out though, Harry," she added. Ron held her hand and squeezed it gently as she went into the definition of a Horcrux in classic Hermione-fashion.

"A Horcrux is an object in which a wizard has hidden part of his soul. The wizard splits his soul apart, hiding the split piece in an object which is then…hidden for protection. I can't imagine someone keeping one around the house," she added, trying for a bit of humor for the situation. The eyes of those who hadn't known what they were describing before now were slowly growing larger.

"Anyway, the whole point of the object is to prevent the death of the person who created the Horcrux. If your body is destroyed, your soul remains in existence since a piece of it was broken apart, and therefore you cannot die," she finished turning the floor back to Harry.

"Thanks," Harry said to her. "Um...Voldemort found out how to make one of these while he was in school," Harry continued. He noticed Slughorn looking up at him with remorse and regret in his eyes. "He actually found the information in the library, in the Restricted Section of course –"

"Was this the item you were searching for in the Ravenclaw Tower the night of the battle?" interrupted Professor McGonagall.

"Yes, it was. But let me finish, there's more," He explained. "One of the Horcruxes was associated with Ravenclaw and-" he was cut off again.

"_One_ of the Horcruxes," Professor McGonagall exclaimed. "There was more than one?" She gasped in shock.

Harry nodded gravely, and proceeded to spend the next hour and a half detailing their incredible journey and search for the Horcruxes. He left out explicit details of certain parts; the periods of starvation and freezing they endured, Ron's torment by the Locket, and Hermione's torture at Malfoy Manor. He also left out as much as he could about Dumbledore's past, knowing that the former Headmaster would rather that was kept between them, as he had confided in Harry only at the end of his journey.

The hardest part of his tale came when he described his solitary walk into the woods to face Voldemort, alone and unaided by those who wished to help him. Harry did not mention his companions, for he wished not to explain the Resurrection Stone, but he did mention his talk with Dumbledore and subsequent choice to come back and finish what he had helped set in motion from his birth.

Hagrid sobbed as he described witnessing Harry's murder in the forest. Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall both wiped tears from their eyes. Harry's eyes sought out Ginny, who had her chin resting in her hand as she watched him closely. Her eyes were fathomless, and he wished desperately for the ability to perform Legilimency to discover what she was thinking.

"The rest you all know," he finished. "You all witnessed what happened after that. And just from what I've seen, and what the three of us have dealt with, I think perhaps destroying Voldemort's body in the same manner as the Horcurxes is the best way to end this."

Silence reigned throughout the hall, and it made Harry uncomfortable to watch them all stare at him and weigh his words. Kingsley spoke at last after ten minutes of pressing silence, the group starting slightly at the unexpected sound of his voice.

"After hearing this I have to agree, Harry. We'll discuss the use of Fiendfyre to destroy Voldemort's body. I would like to wait until tomorrow; just to discuss it with my team, if that is all right with you Minerva?"

Professor McGonagall nodded; she seemed at a loss for words. Harry watched the remainder of his audience nod in agreement as well. Suddenly food appeared on the House tables. He wasn't sure he felt like eating, as his voice was tired from talking and his mind was exhausted from the recount of his adventure and the numerous emotions that had run through him since he had awoken. He looked over at Ron and Hermione, who obviously felt the same way he did. Ron was hunched over, his head in his hands, and Hermione had laid her head back in her chair and closed her eyes. He decided he would free them, and himself, from any further obligation.

He stood up and walked down from the front of the room, yawning involuntarily as he did so. "I'm not hungry, and I'm still very tired. Unless anyone has any questions, I think I'm going to the Common Room to rest," he said, looking mainly at the Weasleys for permission. Ron and Hermione nodded in agreement, and followed him down.

"Are you sure, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, standing up and hugging him close. "You didn't eat much for lunch and it's been a busy day for you. I'm sure something in your stomach would help you all sleep better," she continued, looking at the three of them.

"No Mum," Ron said, taking the burden of rejection off Harry's shoulders. "I think we'll just rest. If we need something, I'm sure Kreacher will be more than happy to help us," he added, trying to assuage the look of concern she was giving him.

Harry glanced over at Ginny, who was sitting on the end of the bench looking very tired as well. He walked over to her and knelt down so his face was level with hers, and said, "Ginny, are you all right?"

She nodded, placing her hands on either side of his face. "Hang on a second," she whispered before standing up.

"Mum, Dad, I'm staying here tonight," she explained to her parents, not bothering to ask permission. "I don't want to sleep on the floor again. I'm very tired, my bed upstairs is empty and I'd really prefer to be here. It feels safer, too," she added. Harry wasn't sure whether she was exaggerating the fear she felt, or if she was just as desperate not to be apart as he was.

"Of course, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said, hugging her daughter tightly. "I think this has all been very hard on us and we all need some rest."

"Molly, Arthur, if you'd like, arrangements can be made for you to stay within the castle tonight as well," Professor McGonagall added. "I think hearing this tale has been a bit unnerving for us all, and I'm sure that you'd rather not be separated from any of your family. That goes for you all as well," she finished, indicating the rest of the Weasleys, Neville, Luna, and Kingsley's group.

"Yes, I think we'll all stay here tonight then," Kingsley added. "We'll deal with this in the morning." He turned to the group behind him and began to discuss their plans. Professor McGonagall went to talk to Flitwick, Slughorn and Hagrid while the Weasleys began to discuss their arrangements.

"C'mon, let's get out of here," Ron whispered, tugging gently on Hermione's arm and prodding Harry toward the door. Harry took Ginny's hand and they went on their way.

They hadn't gone very far when Harry heard someone calling his name. He turned around to see Professor Slughorn lumbering quickly after them. He reached them at last and Harry stepped forward, wondering what he could want.

"Harry," Slughorn began, fumbling for words. "I want to thank you, for….well, for leaving my involvement out of the story. I have been sick with myself ever since I realized what you and Dumbledore were hunting and –"

"Professor, it wasn't your fault," Harry interrupted. "By the time Voldemort came to you, he already knew how to make a Horcrux, he had already done it. To be honest, I'm not sure why he even bothered asking, it's not as though he cared what would happen if he split his soul more than once. You only gave him information he already knew, and the blame lies on him, not on you," he assured him.

"Harry you give me too much credit, but I thank you either way," he said, nodding. "I am sorry though… I will let you all get on, you do look like you could use some more sleep. Have a good evening, Harry, Ron, all of you." With that he turned and strolled away.

"I suppose he could have turned him in," said Ron as they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Yes," Hermione added. "He could have, but he had no proof of anything other than that Voldemort was asking questions."

"Right," Ron agreed, shaking his head. "First time the he's got my name right though, so perhaps he's coming around," he added, making them all laugh.

Approaching the portrait of the Fat Lady, the realization hit that none of them knew the password required to enter the tower. As they looked blankly at each other, the Fat Lady suddenly spoke. "No worries dears, we were all listening to your story. Please just come in." She opened the Portrait hole and they all climbed in.

It was strange to see the Common Room so empty. There was a fire in the fireplace making the room warm and cozy. Ron immediately sat down on the largest armchair and pulled Hermione into his lap. He laid his head against her chest and she resumed stroking his hair. Ginny sat down on the couch opposite them and Harry lay down next to her, his head in her lap. She began to run her long fingers through his hair and he felt at peace at last.


	4. Careers and Confessions

**Careers and Confessions**

"Sparks" Coldplay

A/N - I hope you're all enjoying this so far, I have so much more typed but I'm having it all beta'd before I publish it. Thanks to my beta's Afterglow 75 and thelonelyexecutioner. I reference a song at the beginning of each chapter, the song either had a particular effect on me while I was writing this bit or the lyrics inspired or reflected the emotions I thought the characters were feeling at this point in the story. If your curious, take a look at the lyrics of the songs I reference. Not all of them fit perfectly, but some of them (this one in particular) describe the emotions perfectly!

* * *

The sun was setting; light shining through the windows began to fade slowly into velvety blackness. The silence in the Common Room had been peaceful and serene; the four friends enjoyed it this way.

Harry wasn't sure how long they had sat there without speaking, but Ron finally broke the quiet with a question that he was sure was on everyone's mind.

"So…." he began, searching for the right words. "What happens now?"

"Right now, you shut up and enjoy the quiet," was Ginny's quick response. She opened one eye and glanced at her brother as Hermione and Harry sniggered.

"I actually was wondering the same thing myself," Hermione offered, straightening herself around on Ron's lap. "Obviously cleanup and trying to reorganize things here, but what about the Ministry? And Kingsley said there are still Death Eaters running free, so I'm assuming there will be warrants issued. But for us, I guess, it's one more year of school, then trying to find jobs and such….normal life right?" she asked, looking around at all of them.

"Hermione, after the year we've been through, I think that we should just automatically skip to graduation," Ron said, shaking his head. Harry sat up grinning; he had been thinking the same thing.

"Ron, any career you're going to go into is going to need more education behind it, and we didn't really get a chance to cover a majority of the topics that come up in N.E.W.T. testing. I'm sure they'll give us the option to repeat the year," she added, looking a little worried.

"I'm sure the 'hands on experience' would be enough to get us jobs for now. We can worry about advancing later on, I say," said Ron.

Hermione rolled her eyes and looked over at Ginny and Harry for support, her face exasperated.

Ginny shook her head and said "I don't know about you lot, but I'm repeating nothing. Whatever the case, if I go back to school this is my final year. I attended enough class last year and also had some '_hands on_' experience that I think should count as well."

Harry gave her a curious glance; there was defiance in her expression, but a bit of fear behind her eyes. "What exactly do you mean by "hands on experience", Ginny?" he asked, unable to mask the concern in his voice. Ron and Hermione had leant forward as well, both their expressions mirroring Harry's.

"Nothing in particular, but I've done my fair share of Defense against the Dark Arts work; that was the only class that was really different. All my other grades would be fine if I tested, so I don't think that I'll need to repeat," she sputtered, trying to cover her tracks.

Harry wasn't convinced, but he decided not to press the matter at this moment. It was obviously something she didn't want to talk about.

"I'm not really that sure I want to repeat another school year either, but I know if I'll have a choice... McGonagall told me before O.W.L.'s that Aurors have to go through an additional three years of training, so I think I'm stuck unfortunately," he said, keeping his eyes on Ginny.

"Damn," Ron hissed. "I forgot about that. You'd be a shoo-in Harry! I'm sure of it. You should just ask Kingsley for a job. You have more experience than all of those other Aurors combined, I'll bet," he continued, sitting up and looking at Harry with excitement.

"Perhaps, but you know I'm not just going to expect to be handed something," he pointed out. "Besides, when I think back on it, I remember Moody and Lupin, and even Snape, being able to just look at things and determine if they were evil objects. I saw Dumbledore find things by just feeling along the walls of that cave and muttering. I think there's still a lot I have to learn before I can really go out there."

"What do you think you did all last year?" said Ron incredulously.

"I camped out looking for things I thought might hold a bit of Voldemort's soul. Then I beat him by working out some things by chance," he said, pausing at the shocked looks on their faces. "I suppose I'm brave, but there's a lot more to the job than bravery, I'm sure."

"That is a good point, Harry," Hermione agreed. "But I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit either way. You are smart, and you can figure out things and identify dark objects if you really think about it," she offered in an encouraging tone.

"There's also strategy involved being an Auror; you both know I'm not the best planner. It's a bit like a chess match I suppose, trying to plan your next move," he thought aloud.

"If that's the case, _I _should be a shoo-in, for the chess match I played seven years ago," said Ron with heavy sarcasm. They all laughed out loud.

"I completely forgot about that," said Ginny.

"Well you weren't here, now were you?" Ron reminded her.

"Yes, but when you came home for summer it was the only time I've ever seen Percy impressed with someone's accomplishment other than his own," she explained, making them all laugh even harder.

"I'd forgotten about that adventure as well," Hermione confessed. "I wonder what ever happened to that corridor and all the things that were down there."

"'Suppose once the stone was destroyed, the protection wasn't needed anymore, right?" Ron said.

"Right," Harry said. "But still, that mirror was down there, and it was an actual passageway with rooms and everything. What was the purpose of it before the stone was hidden there?"

"The way you describe it makes it sound like another Chamber of Secrets," Ginny said with a shudder.

"It was, kind of, and that's still there. Just the way you two left it, basilisk and all," Ron reminded them. Harry watched as Hermione flinched at the memory of the giant serpent.

Harry nodded. Ironically, the basilisk Voldemort had once commanded had enabled them to defeat him. "I suppose it wouldn't be too bad an idea to venture down there and destroy it as well, along with Voldemort's body. A giant dead serpent isn't much good to the school. If we do that, we should probably save the teeth though; those came in handy," he said, thinking out loud again. The other three nodded in agreement. Silence resumed at the mention of Voldemort's final destruction.

Harry sat up and leaned back against the opposite armrest of the couch and motioned for Ginny to come to him. She stretched out and crawled up his body, curling her way into his arms and laying her head against his chest. One hand lay over his heart and she hugged him tightly around his waist. He wrapped his arms around her more snugly, and began run his fingers gently through her long red hair. He again felt that he would like to pull her inside of him, to protect her and keep her forever.

The heat he had felt earlier when they kissed slowly began to spread through his body, making his stomach turn circles. As he stroked her hair, he began to re-memorize its soft, silky texture and inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent. She smelled like lilacs and honeysuckle, and it was so sweet that it almost made his mouth water. He relaxed, laying down even further and pressed his lips to the top of her head. The impulse to kiss her, to press his mouth against hers and inhale her breath as he held her closer rose steadily in his chest. Harry remained very much aware of Ron and Hermione's presence in the room, however, and restrained himself.

Ginny's breathing evened out and Harry looked down to see her eyelids close peacefully as she fell asleep. He adjusted himself to try and make her more comfortable, grabbing a blanket and throwing it over the pair of them. His arms wrapped back around her warm body and he began to drift off as well, listening to Ron and Hermione pick back up the conversation they had dropped at the mention of Voldemort.

"Hermione, seriously, you want to come back to school?" Ron asked her.

"Yes, of course, Ron! I think it's very important we finish," she said, turning her body to face him and adopting the serious approach she took on when it came to school. "I still don't know what I want to do with myself. I want to make sure that I get as much education as I can to keep my options open. I think that after the last year, however, I have definitely decided against being an Auror; I will say that much."

"I suppose you're right," Ron acquiesced. "I don't really know what to do either. Being an Auror would be great, but I don't think I've got the stuff in me that Harry does," he said, looking over at his sleeping best friend and sounding depressed.

Hermione ran one hand through his shaggy red hair and shook her head, smiling. "You've got everything that Harry does except a scar. That's not an insult to him; it's a compliment to you both. You are brave, Ron. You are smart and clever, and you are stronger than you know," she continued, making him go red. "Look at all you've done. You've been by Harry's side, helping him accomplish all this, and you know that he'd say he couldn't have done any of it without you."

"You were there as well, you know."

"Yes, I am more than aware of that, but we're not talking about me. We're talking about you. And you needn't compare yourself to anyone. You're Ron Weasley, and that's all you need to be," She said sweetly, looking into his blue eyes.

There was much more she wanted to say to him, but the words wouldn't come for some reason. She wanted to tell him how she thought he was compassionate, loving, funny, and a whole list of other adjectives. Hermione had never thought herself shy, but she began to blush as she fumbled for words to describe how she felt.

"You _can_ be rather oblivious at times, like right now for instance, but I suppose that's part of your charm," she finished, looking away from him sheepishly.

This didn't go unnoticed, as she had hoped it would. He reached up and pushed a few flyaway strands of hair out of her face; the rest was pulled up in a messy pony tail. Ron stared into her eyes, finding that feelings were rising in him that had laid buried deep for six years. He was surprised at how strong they were.

"Hermione, we didn't tell you the full story of what happened when I destroyed the locket," he suddenly blurted out. He instantly wished he could take the words back as he remembered standing in the snow, watching the figures of her and Harry emerge from the windows of Slytherin's locket.

"What?" she gasped, looking concerned. Something must have shone through in his expression because she grabbed his hands and gripped them tightly. "What happened? You both just said it screamed when you destroyed it! There was more?"

Ron gazed into her deep brown eyes. He had been surrounded by brown-eyed girls his whole life: his mother and sister, and Lavender, but he'd never seen eyes the same color as Hermione's were; like chocolate melted and molded into round ovals, flecked with hints of gold. He realized as he looked at her that there was no backing out of the whole story now; she wouldn't let him rest until he filled her in on every detail of what happened, including the shame and fear he felt when Voldemort's voice spoke to him.

"I dragged Harry out of that pool of frozen water, and the locket was wrapped so tightly around his neck I had to break the chain to get it off of him," he recounted. "We talked and made up, and the sword was there. He said that I had to be the one to destroy it…I didn't want to.

"Hermione, whenever I put that thing around my neck…it was like every single fear I had about myself grew into …something huge that I didn't know how to deal with, I didn't know how to handle it. You remember how awful I got," he added, wanting to hang his head in shame as she nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, Harry said something about he just knew it was supposed to be me. He said he was going to open the locket by speaking Parseltongue and I was supposed to stab it. When he was holding it on the rock the thing was…shaking…in his hand, like it was trying to get away. He hissed something and it opened and there were two eyes in both the windows," he said, remembering how Tom Riddle's brown eyes had looked up at him. Hermione clasped her hands over her mouth, but nodded in encouragement for him to continue.

"Harry told me to stab it, but the thing began to talk to me. _'I've seen your fears Ronald Weasley,_' it told me. It said …my mum loved me the least because she wanted a girl instead of me, and then it said something…about…" he paused, feeling shameful and afraid of rejection. He looked into Hermione's eyes and found the strength to continue. "About you…_'least loved, now, by the girl who prefers your friend_.'"

He took a deep breath, trying to build his courage back up. "I could hear Harry screaming at me to stab it, almost begging…but I couldn't, I froze. I felt like the voice was…right…everything I was afraid of was true. Then…these figures of you and Harry appeared, like ghosts, except…real…and, well, horrifying. You were almost solid…I remember that I could see the color of your hair clearly, but both your's and Harry's eyes were red. And you and Harry…the figures…began to taunt me. Saying that there was no way anyone could prefer me when I was compared with Harry. And then you two…the figures…kissed."

He looked up at her again, and found that there were tears sitting on the edges of her eyes waiting to spill over. He put his hand up against her face trying to comfort her, and went on.

"I was so angry… so jealous… And then I heard Harry yelling…begging me to stab it…and that broke through and I realized it wasn't you standing there…it was just the Horcrux…Voldemort…taunting me. I stood up and stabbed it. I saw Harry roll away in the snow. At first I thought I had stabbed him because there was this horrible screaming sound and then it went quiet. Harry seemed like he was afraid to approach me, I'm sure I was a mess," he began to babble, trying to move on to a different topic. "But that's what happened, though I'm not sure why. Things like that didn't happen when we destroyed the cup or the-".

Hermione interrupted his sputtering as she curled herself into his arms, straddling him in the oversized arm chair, and pressed her lips to his fiercely, so overcome with emotion and adoration that she couldn't hold herself back anymore. She knew she had surprised him because for a moment he didn't respond, but when he did he threw himself into the kiss just as passionately as she had.

Her lips were warm and soft as they moved against his. He could feel wetness on her cheeks as he pushed stray strands of her hair back and wound his fingers into her ponytail. He pulled her close to him, pressing his body against hers as much as he could in the cramped space. He breathed in her scent, a mixture of vanilla and cinnamon, and ran his hands down her back. He pulled away for a second, kissing across her jaw line, down her neck, and across her collarbone, trying to take in as much of her as he could. He felt her shudder as she pulled his face back to hers and pressed her mouth to his once more, tracing his lips lightly with the tip of her tongue.

They kissed for what seemed like forever, both of them not wanting to stop. In his sleep, Harry groaned and clutched Ginny closer to him, reminding them that they were not alone. Hermione sighed and pressed her forehead against Ron's, both of them breathing deeply.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said, looking up into her eyes, still swimming with tears. "I'm so sorry I left you …and Harry. When I came back, I remember thinking I'd do anything to make it up to you…and after what happened at Malfoy's house…" he trailed off, as she shuddered. "I don't want to ever let you out of my sight again. I'd do anything to take that all back," he explained, blushing a deep red.

Hermione smiled, running her slender fingers through his hair. "Ron, you're here now and that's all that matters to me. You don't have any idea how long I've waited and…hoped…that you would wake up and realize how much I see in you, and only you. Harry is like my little brother, Ron, he's always been that way," she said looking at him and brushing a tear away from his cheek.

"I'm kind of like a little brother to you too, you know," he confessed. "You are older than me," he said, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

"I don't think I'd kiss my little brother that way," she laughed. "Ron, you don't ever have to worry about being second best, or sixth best, or anything but first in my eyes. You are who you are, and I … I adore you for that. Not for what you've done, or where you've been; what you've seen, or what your grades are, or any thing else that I know I worry about too much. You're everything I've ever wanted in a friend, in a companion…in a man."

Ron looked up at her and pressed his forehead against hers. He felt her wipe another tear off his cheek. He reached up, taking her face gently in his hands, and kissed her tenderly, no longer caring who was in the room with them, awake or not.


	5. Innocent

A/N: Please pardon my lateness in getting this up. I had a final for my 1st class then I went to a training for a Yoga/Tai Chi class I'm teaching now in a town two hours a way, I wanted to get it up before I left but it didn't happen... either way, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Innocent

"Green Eyes" Coldplay

* * *

Ginny breathed deeply and nestled her head under Harry's chin. She noticed how skinny he had gotten over the past year and made a mental note to not criticize her mother when she pestered him to eat. One of his arms was wrapped around her waist and the other lay tenderly against her hair. Feeling that she was not quite ready to wake up fully, she kept her eyes closed and enjoyed the contentment and peace that warmed her heart.

Listening to the room around her, she realized that it wasn't as quiet as she had originally thought. She heard a strange hissing sound that was out of place in the quiet room. It sounded like a tea kettle boiling over, but wasn't as persistent. Fearing snakes, she opened her eyes an infinitesimal amount and tried to look around her to see the source without moving too much. It didn't take her long to identify the noise.

Through her long eyelashes, she saw her mother and father standing about six feet away from where she and Harry lay curled up together on the couch. Though their voices were quiet, she could tell the discussion was animated. Holding her breath, she strained to listen to the conversation they were having.

"Oh for Heaven's sake Arthur, she will be seventeen in August. It's been obvious for ages that she has fancied Harry, though I will admit I had no idea he returned the feelings until tonight. Besides, he's been through so much in the last year alone and if she can comfort him in any way why fuss about it?" Ginny recognized the "I'm-trying-to-be-patient" tone of her mother's familiar voice.

"Yes Molly, I understand that. But it's hardly appropriate for them to sleep together! What people would think if they saw them like this…I mean, he's got his hands all over her," her father hissed back.

Ginny opened her eyes a little more once she realized they weren't really paying any attention to her. George was standing by the fireplace, staring at the smoldering logs with a small grin. Bill and Fleur were watching the conversation from the shadows, an amused look on both their faces.

"Hardly," Mrs. Weasley said, looking back at the pair of them. Ginny closed her eyes quickly so her mother would not know she was awake, but opened them again once she had turned away. "His hand is on her back and her hair. If you've forgotten, when _I_ was almost seventeen, _your_ hands were in more places than that."

George closed his eyes and pressed his lips together, trying extremely hard not to laugh. Bill was not so successful; he barked out a loud chuckle then stifled it behind his hand while his wife shook with suppressed giggles.

"Molly!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed in shock, his face reddening to match his hair. "The children… and that's hardly the point. I mean, we got married when you were eighteen. I don't see Harry jumping to propose to her, and if he's the first boy she's dated…" He stopped, hoping to himself that was the case.

"He's not, Dad," George piped up. "Ginny dated another boy her fourth year, met him at the Yule Ball I think. Then she dated Dean Thomas almost all of year before last before Harry and her got together right before Dumbledore passed away," he said, turning to look at his father.

He turned and happened to notice Ginny's open eyes. Without moving, she glared at him in warning, silently hexing him for outing her. George grinned, and shook his head marginally, letting her know he wouldn't say anything else.

"Misser Weasley," Fleur spoke up. "Dad… I zhink what eez really going on 'ere iz zat your leetle girl eez growing up and… well, she may not be your leetle girl for much longer. It eez not a bad zhing, eet is very sweet of you, but I don't zhink zat zey are doing anyzhing bad by juss sleeping on ze couch."

"Yeah Dad," Bill said. "They're just sleeping… literally. Nothing else is happening, or has happened, I'm sure."

"It didn't have time to," George offered. "After Dumbledore died, Harry broke up with Ginny because he didn't want anyone to come after _her_ to get to him."

"How do you know all of this?" Mrs. Weasley gasped.

"Ron," George explained. "Before they left, before the wedding, he told me a little about it. He said he didn't know how he was supposed to handle what was going on. Harry had hurt his sister, but he said Harry was upset about it having to be that way, so he was kind of torn between protecting her and consoling his best friend. Though I think he leaned more towards protecting Ginny."

"Oh, poor dear," Mrs. Weasley said, gazing over at Harry's sleeping figure. Ginny closed her eyes quickly again. "I'm sure he was upset, it's obvious he cares for her."

"Yes, well, I think he was quite right in doing that. I mean someone could have come for her because of him and then what would we have done and-" Mr. Weasley started to say but he stopped under his wife's glare.  
"Arthur, I'm ashamed of you! After all Harry has done for us? For our whole family? For the world? How on Earth would that have been _his_ fault? It's not like he asked for any of this to happen," she snapped at her husband, no longer trying to keep quiet.

Mr. Weasley hung his head, ashamed at what he had said. "Well, yes, you're right Molly. I shouldn't have said that. But-"

"But nothing. I think Fleur is quite right and this is just some dormant over-protectiveness coming out, finally. Its perfectly innocent at this point, so there is no need to get so up in arms about it," she hissed, still glaring at her husband.

"Yes…yes, you're probably right Molly," he acquiesced. "Still though, I think we should wake them, or I could at least move Ginny to her dormitory-"

"If you touch them Arthur… mark my words," Mrs. Weasley threatened. "They're sleeping. They both, Harry especially, need their rest. I noticed you're not at all concerned about Ron and Hermione lying in the chair asleep?"

"Well Ron can look after himself," Mr. Weasley explained, brushing off his wife's observation. "He's fancied Hermione for ages too, though he'd never admit it. Ginny-"

"Is also perfectly capable of taking care of herself too, Dad, trust me," George explained in a matter-of-fact tone. He winked at Ginny as she silently watched the exchange.

Her father seemed at a loss of arguments for his side. She felt a little guilty, her dad wasn't much for showing his emotions; he was always cheerful and happy. She didn't actually ever remember seeing him so uncomfortable about anything. But she also agreed with her mother and wanted Harry too much to allow anyone to move her away at this point.

"Well, now that that's settled, I think we all need rest," Mrs. Weasley stated. Ginny closed her eyes and feigned sleep again, but listened as they bustled around the room and up the stairs to sleep. She heard someone throw a blanket over Ron and Hermione, but then it was quiet.

"I tried to keep them from coming up here you know," George's voice whispered suddenly. She opened her eyes to find him sitting on the floor in front of her smirking. "I had a feeling that when the four of you came up here this would happen, though I didn't think it would be out in public. I assumed you'd have enough sense to go to one of the dormitories at least," he teased.

"Well it's not like it was really a well thought-out plan," explained Ginny. "I don't even remember falling asleep, and I think those two sat up talking for a while." She and George looked over at the sleeping figures in the chair. Hermione was curled up on Ron's lap, her head against his chest. Ron's head lay against hers, his neck cricked at an odd angle.

"'Bout time if you ask me," George laughed. "Bloody annoying listening to them fight all the time like an old married couple. I told Ron for years he ought to just kiss her and get on with it, he just kept looking at me with that blank expression of his."

"You mean the one where that makes him look like he's been Confunded?" asked Ginny, attempting to imitate Ron's confused expression..

"Exactly."

Ginny smiled and said, "I agree with you. Hermione denied for years as well, but year before last whenever I'd bring it up she just blushed, so I bet she's pleased."

"Wonder when they actually got on with it though?" George asked. "Poor Harry, if he had to put up with them snogging all over the place while he was searching for those…things. Or, if they didn't, having to put up with them fighting all the damn time."

"They didn't actually do much of either. And they didn't get on with it until during the battle," Harry admitted.

Ginny and George both jumped at the sound of his voice, they hadn't realized he was awake. He grinned as he opened his eyes and straightened himself out so he could look at them both.

"Sorry Harry, didn't mean to wake you up," George apologized.

"S'alright. I enjoyed listening to you two talk about the looks Ron gets sometimes," he sniggered.

"How long have you been listening?" asked Ginny, wondering if he heard the conversation between her parents.

"Not long, I just heard you talking about not planning to fall asleep on me. I probably don't make much of a pillow- a bit sharp probably because I'm so skinny now," he apologized.

"I think you make a good pillow," Ginny said, laying her head down on his chest again. "You breathe deeply and it's soothing," she said, blushing.

"Better than the floor I expect," he said, stroking her hair and peering down at her. She grinned and hid her face.

"Knew that was a lie," he said with a small laugh.

"Yeah, what was that all about?" asked George. "_'I don't want to sleep on the floor again_,'" he mocked. "I thought you slept on the couch at Aberforth's pub when Mum and Dad were talking to everyone?"

"I did, but they weren't paying attention so they didn't know," she said, looking up with a wide-eyed innocent expression.

"Right," said George skeptically. "I think Mum didn't put up a fight because she was hoping you'd come up here and fall asleep on Harry."

"She's not stupid. She's always told me how much of a catch I was, no one would be able to deny me. She must have known it was only a matter of time once I turned on the charm," she teased, flipping her long hair over her shoulder.

"I'll say," Harry grinned.

"And, with that, I'm going to bed," George cringed, hopping quickly to his feet. "I'll leave you two to it then. Harry, remember how 'innocent' my sister is before you decide to do anything."

Harry laughed, and said, "I will George, but thanks for the warning."

"Night," George said, going up the stairs.

"Night," they both replied.

Ginny laid her head back down on Harry's chest and he resumed stroking her hair. They lay quietly on the couch for a long time. Harry thought Ginny had fallen back asleep before she spoke suddenly.

"So, what did you mean when you said Ron and Hermione 'got on with it' during the battle?" Ginny finally asked, curiosity exploding out of her.

"We asked you to leave the Room of Requirement, remember? We went into it for that room of hidden things. Ron said something about getting the house elves out of the castle, that we didn't want any more Dobby's. Well, that did it for Hermione and she ran over to Ron and they just started snogging each other like there was no tomorrow. I felt bad, I made them stop. I reminded them there _might not be_ a tomorrow if we didn't get to fighting soon," he explained, looking over at his two friends asleep in each other's arms. "I hope they've gotten a chance to make up for it since all that. You and George are right, it's about damn time."

"Oh, they've gotten chances to make up for it," Ginny laughed. Harry looked at her curiously.

"Ron got up first the other morning, amazingly enough. When he came down to the Great Hall he just sat staring at the doors, eating. I kept asking him what was up, he just kept asking me 'Hermione awake yet? Is Hermione up?' I told him I was going to let her sleep, he wouldn't leave me alone though," she explained, rolling her eyes.

"When she finally got up, she kind of did the same thing you did- walked up to the doors of the Great Hall and stood there. When Ron saw her he got up, walked right over to her, picked her up and kissed her. Everyone cheered, it was a bit funny," she admitted. "But then they kissed like that for… I don't know… ten minutes at least. I walked by them to go up and get some clothes on and told him maybe he should let her eat."

Harry laughed out loud. Ginny always had an interesting view of every situation that went on around her, and that was one of his many favorite things about her. She looked at him and grinned, laying her head back on his chest.

"You didn't seem to mind it when I picked you up off the ground and kissed you," he observed, remembering their reunion.

"Well I had eaten," she teased. "Hermione didn't look like she needed _that_ much comfort when she got there. You did," she reminded him.

He nodded, and resumed stroking her hair. "I probably looked like hell when I walked through the door," he admitted, looking to her for confirmation.

"Your hair did," she teased before becoming serious. "But, other than that, you looked scared to death. I've seen you go through a lot of things, Harry: Dementors, all the Triwizard tasks, the Hall of Prophecy fiasco, Dumbledore dying. Never, not even during the battle or when you faced Voldemort, have I ever seen you look so scared," she commented, looking into his eyes.

"I was scared."

"Why?"

"I wasn't sure what I was going to find when I walked in there," he answered, averting his eyes from hers. He felt embarrassed as he thought of her opinion of him possibly falling at this show of weakness. "I didn't know if everyone was going to be angry at me for not stopping it sooner. Or if I'd have to see the families of everyone who died in the battle right away again, or if people would be demanding that I retell everything that happened to all of us. I just didn't know what to expect. Maybe I'm not as brave as everyone seems to give me credit for. I just don't want anyone I care about to suffer anymore." he sighed, admitting his real fear at last.

Ginny sat up, pulling him with her. She rearranged herself so she was sitting in his lap with her legs around his waist. She placed her hands on both sides of his face and looked intensely into his eyes. Her breath caught for a moment as she wondered if she was ever going to get over how shockingly green they were.

"Listen to me, Harry James Potter. _Anyone_ who would be mad at you for anything would not only have to face my anger and the anger of my entire family, but the anger of over half the Wizarding population. Since you were a year old you have been fighting against someone everyone else was so afraid of we couldn't even say his name. There is no way in hell anyone in their right mind could, or would, blame you for the length of time it took for Voldemort to be killed. You could have just run and hid, stayed in the Muggle world and never returned, especially after you found out what you'd be facing. But you didn't. You came, and you fought for yourself and all of us. No one would be mad at you for that.

"Secondly," she continued, shaking him a little when he turned his eyes from hers. "I don't want you to ever say you aren't brave again. You have to stop taking the whole world on your shoulders. It's over, this time for good. Yes, there are still Death Eaters out there, and yes, there will always be evil in this world. But for you, the worst part is over. You never have to face another Dark Wizard again if you don't want to. It's not your job to protect everyone," she told him, her face soft but intense with emotion.

He stared at her. She was right: he didn't have to take on the world's problems, but he knew in his heart that it was just his nature to try and do so. Even as he considered the thought that he didn't have to protect everyone, he still felt the need to make sure that everyone he loved was all safe, especially the person in his arms.

"Ginny, thank you," he said. He slid his hands down to the small of her back and pulled her close to him. "But no matter what happens, I'll always want to protect you," he said as he nestled his face into her neck.

Ginny smiled. Fiercely independent as she was, the idea of someone wanting to protect her from the world made butterflies rise in her stomach. "That may be the case, but you know well enough that I can take care of myself."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to help."

"Well, help if you must," she sighed. "But you don't need to be scared or worried about what everyone else thinks. My family, Hermione, and all your other friends will hex anyone who tries to tell you off for anything, don't worry."

He laughed. "How do you do it?" he asked, pulling back to look at her.

"What?"

"Stay so calm and collected all the time. You're like a little rock in a world of chaos, it's been that way for years," he said. "Every time I fall apart, you pull me back together. When I was out there sometimes if I couldn't focus, I thought of you and it cleared my head."

He stared into her brown eyes and watched her blush, something she didn't do often anymore. Somehow, the color slowly spreading through her cheeks did the impossible and made her even more beautiful.

"I grew up in a house full of boys," she reminded him. "Plus, you know my mum, she tends to fly of the handle a bit sometimes. I'm more like my dad I think," she considered, wondering what her father would say if he saw them sitting like this.

Harry smiled, and said, "I've always wondered if that had something to do with it. But you're blushing now- why?" he asked, stroking her cheek lightly where the color had flooded into it.

She tried to turn away but he followed her, moving his body so he could continue to look at her. "You compared me to a rock, I'm angry," she lied.

"If this is angry, I'd hate to see what infuriated is," Harry teased her. He ran one of his hands lightly up and down her back and watched her shudder slightly. The heat he had felt earlier began to rise from his stomach again; he wondered if _his_ cheeks were turning red.

"Yes, well, you seem to be the only one that has this effect on me."

"Good," he grinned, holding her closer. "Let's keep it that way."

Ginny looked back into his eyes, they seemed to be smoldering with emotion, like emeralds. He couldn't possibly be so thick to not realize she was crazy about him, that she had been for years. He seemed to be playing innocent.

"I'm just as good at it as you are," he teased, reading her mind through her eyes.

"I'll have to be on my guard then, won't I?" she said, narrowing her eyes.

"You?" he gasped, widening his eyes with mock fear. "What about this lethal charm you were telling me about earlier? Dark Wizards are nothing compared to you from the way it sounds."

She smiled, "I'll try to keep it to a minimum then. Don't want you to stress out over it."

"I think it's too late."

"Why's that?"

"Minimum is no good. I got the full force of it when I saw you today," he explained, pressing his lips softly against her neck and inhaling her sweet, flowery scent.

She shuddered and entwined her fingers in his dark hair. Unfamiliar warmth started to spread through her body as well. The heat moved quickly, spreading from her heart to the tips of her fingers and toes.

"Sorry about that," she whispered, unable to make her voice come out right.

"Why apologize? It's not like you didn't want this," he chuckled.

She pressed her hands to his chest and pushed him away slightly, glaring at him. The adorable smile on his face was teasing, but his emerald eyes were serious. She tried to work up her temper, but it didn't come out right when she tried to insult him.

"Prat," she whispered, trying to sound as angry as possible.

He pressed his lips together in a grin, trying not to laugh. He had something very important to tell her, and he wanted to make sure that she understood how serious and full of emotion he was. But he couldn't resist the opportunity to tease her, as the clever responses coming from her just increased the affection that was building in his heart.

"I thought you said you were going to keep the charm to a minimum?" he asked defiantly.

"That's charming? Me calling you a prat is _charming_?" she snorted derisively.

"Ginny, I love you."

Her breath disappeared for a second. When it came back all she could whisper was, "Do you now?"

"Not just now. Since the summer before your fifth year. I didn't know it at first; I didn't know until I ran into you and Dean kissing in that hallway," he recollected, the memory of the creature awakening in his chest coming to mind. "I wanted you so much; it tortured me for so long; you were Ron's sister, was I allowed to even think it? That kiss after the Quiddictch match was not a plan. That was pure undiluted emotion coming out. I love you," he said, running his fingers through her hair again.

"Why… why did you-" she started, but he interrupted.

"You know why. '_Some stupid noble reason'_. You have no idea how hard that was, but there was no way I could put you in that kind of danger." Looking into her eyes he could see uncertainty and fear of rejection hiding behind her confidence. Deciding he might as well admit the whole truth, he went on.

"When the Order came to get me that night, and we were at your house waiting for everyone and George had lost his ear and all that… all I wanted to do was hold you, but I couldn't. When you kissed me on my birthday, it was like the weight that was on me disappeared for one moment, and I was free. Ron really got on me about that, and I tried to picture you with someone else, someone safe… it was horrible. At the wedding, Krum pointed out how attractive you are and I lied, telling him that you had a boyfriend who was big and jealous and he should stay away," he recalled, chuckling at the memory. She continued to stare at him in shock.

"I thought about you all the time when I was away; you were always in the back of my mind. Sometimes when I was bored or lonely, I would pull out the Maurader's Map and just stare at your little dot for hours," he admitted sheepishly, the thought made him feel like a stalker.

"When you walked through the portrait hole into the Room of Requirement, you were the most beautiful thing I'd seen in so long. But I was so scared that you would get hurt. I panicked after we couldn't find you when we came out of the room, after the fire. As I was walking out to the forest, I passed by you and I wanted so badly to stop, but I knew I couldn't," he remembered. "Your face, your lips were the last thing I thought of before Voldemort… killed me."

He looked into her eyes, watery now, but so beautiful. "Ginny, I love you. I'm so sorry I left, but I had to. But I'm here now. And you're right, it's over, and you are all I want," he confessed, pulling her close again. "I love you. I love you so much and I feel so much better now that you know," he breathed before pressing his lips to hers.

She seemed frozen as he kissed her softly. He paused, kissing her nose, cheeks and the corners of her eyes where tears had leaked out. He suddenly worried that maybe he had scared her, that maybe this was all too much for her to handle right now.

"Ginny?" he asked, kissing her lightly again. "Are you all right?"

She looked at him, seeing nothing but concern and love in his eyes, and pulled his lips back to hers passionately.

Harry opened his mouth and breathed in the sweet taste of her breath. The fingers of one hand braided their way into her hair, pulling her face close to his. The other hand stayed in the small of her back as he held her tightly. Her lips were smooth and soft as he felt them shape their way around his. The heat continued to rise inside him and blocked out every other stimulation around him except her… _Ginny_.

She leaned back suddenly, grabbing his shirt and pulling him with her. He kept his hand behind her head and laid it gently on the armrest of the sofa, keeping his lips on hers the whole time. He held back, worried about crushing her under his weight, but she didn't have the same concern and pulled him down so his body lay on top of hers. Her arms wrapped around his back and hugged him tightly. He brushed her silky hair out of his way so he could kiss along her jaw line and into the space behind her ear. She shuddered and gasped softly as he kissed down her neck, across her jaw line and back to her lips. Her hands twisted into his hair and held his mouth to hers as his arms wrapped around her small frame and hugged her tightly.

The heat in his body was unfamiliar but seemed to be fueling the long-denied passion he felt. The burning intensified as they continued to kiss and hold each other, and he felt as though heaven had arrived and taken him away with her. So many feelings and thoughts were running rampant in his head, and between their kisses when she sighed and breathed his name, the fire raged out of control inside him. He never wanted to stop; if he could continue kissing her and holding her like this for the rest of his days, that would make him content. But he knew that now was not the time, nor the place, to let his body override his mind.

He slowed his pace and kissed her softly, pressing his lips lightly against hers then moving slowly across her cheek, down her jaw and neck until finally he laid his head gently against her chest. He continued to hold her close to him as he breathed deeply, trying to extinguish the fire raging inside of him. He felt her fingers part their way through his hair and listened to her excited breathing slow and even out. He couldn't help but smile at the thought of having this effect on her; the ability to make her sigh and shudder would come in handy one day, he thought.

"Ginny," he breathed, his voice wrapped around her name like a caress.

"Hmm?" was her only response.

"I love you," he sighed, nestling himself against the skin of her neck and squeezing her.

"Hmm," she giggled, continuing to run her fingers through his hair.

Harry leant up, propping himself up on one elbow with his hand under his head. He lightly touched her face with his other hand, tracing her lips and the contours of her jaw. She placed her hand tenderly against his, holding it to her face.

"_Wrackspurt got you_?" he asked suddenly, quoting Luna's observation of him on the Hogwarts Express.

"What?" asked Ginny with a confused expression.

Harry laughed lightly. "Luna asked me that a while back," he explained.

"Only her," was Ginny's response as she shook her head slowly.

"You are awfully quiet," he commented as he leaned closer to her, resting his forehead against hers.

"I'm a bit out of breath if you must know," she admitted. Harry smiled. "You're awfully proud of yourself aren't you?" she observed, narrowing her eyes as she took in his slightly smug expression.

"Aren't you?" he asked, taking her hand and twisting their fingers together.

"Proud of myself?"

"Yes, you should be. You and your charm pushed me to a limit I've never been anywhere near before," he praised her, watching the color spread through her cheeks again.

"I try," she teased, starting to smile.

He snuggled close to her again and she turned on her back, letting him wrap his arm around her waist and lay his head against her shoulder as she stroked his hair lightly. There was once a time, she remembered, that she was so shy around Harry Potter that she couldn't even speak in his presence. She thought that by now this shouldn't be an issue, but she wasn't able to find the words to express how happy she was over his confession.

"Ginny?" he whispered again. "I love you."

She smiled, breathing deeply and settling herself into the couch. She felt him wrap his arms around her and hold her close. Ginny closed her eyes, at peace with the world and everything in it, and drifted off to sleep.


	6. The Prophecy Fulfilled

The Prophecy Fulfilled

"The Gloaming" Radiohead

The warm, bright sun shining through the tall, narrow windows of Gryffindor tower indicated the arrival of morning. Hermione stood staring out towards the lake, watching a figure carry bundles of sticks to the same spot over and over again. She brushed her long, curly hair and thought about the incredible events of the past year. A small ache in her chest reminded her that she hadn't seen nor heard from her parents in almost a year; they didn't even know she was alive. Finding them would be a priority once things settled down a bit.

Soft footsteps echoed from the boys' dormitory, she turned to see Neville Longbottom descending them, still dressed in his pajamas, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Inexplicably, she was reminded of her first year at Hogwarts when she cast the Full Body-Bind curse on Neville so she, Harry, and Ron could run off to the third floor corridor in hopes of stopping the theft of the Philosopher's Stone.

"Good Morning, Neville," she greeted, not removing her eyes from the window and the figure walking back and forth around the lake.

"Morning, Hermione," he yawned, looking a little surprised to see her. "Did you sleep down here all night?" he asked, looking at Ron's unconscious figure curled up in the large arm chair.

She nodded. "We all fell asleep talking, I don't even remember what time it was. What time is it now?" she asked, turning to face him.

Neville glanced at his watch. "Quarter after eight."

"How's your Gran?" Hermione asked, smiling.

"She's great! She's gone back home, but she was glad it is all over. Got a letter from her yesterday, telling me how she wrote to our whole family, talking about it. I've gotten letters saying I'm a hero. Mad, 'eh?" he said, shaking his head.

Hermione remembered Neville saying some time ago that everyone told him he wasn't brave enough to be a Gryffindor. So much had changed in seven years; it was hard to wrap her mind around it. "You are a hero, Neville; you did a very brave thing. I'm sure she's very proud of you," Hermione smiled.

"Right," Neville said, blushing. "Well, I think I'll head down to breakfast. See you later, right?"

"Yes, we'll all be down in a bit, I expect," Hermione said, turning back to the window. She listened as Neville climbed out the Portrait Hole and shut the door behind him.

"I don't think he cares much for the spotlight."

"Merlin's Beard, Ginny!" Hermione exclaimed, turning around to see Ginny's face peering at her from behind the arm of the couch. "You scared me to death. I thought you were still sleeping."

"Nah, I've been up for a while," she said quietly as she unwrapped Harry's arm from around her waist and slid herself off the couch. "I didn't realize anyone else was awake until I heard you talking to Neville. How long have you been up?"

"Not long, I was just trying to decide whether or not to wake you all up when Neville came down," she said, turning back to the window.

"Something interesting down there?" Ginny asked, walking over to join her.

"Hagrid," said Hermione, pointing to the large figure she had been watching.

"What's he doing?" Ginny asked, moving closer to the window to see.

"I'm not sure," Hermione confessed. "He's been bringing piles of wood to that area for a while. I'm not sure what he's carrying now," she finished, sounding scared. Hagrid's figure was walking quickly, his arms stretched out in front of him, holding what appeared to be a dark bundle of blankets.

"You don't think its Voldemort's body, do you?" Ginny gasped, turning to her with an alarmed look on her face.

"I don't know, but when your mum came down earlier, she was talking about people arriving this afternoon to finish up a few repairs to the castle. I think the funerals are going to be tomorrow," she said, walking away.

Ginny nodded, folding her arms over her chest in a protective manner. She seemed at a loss for words; part of her was glad it was going to be over, and part of her didn't want to say good bye. Distracting herself from the rising grief in her chest, she turned to look at her brother asleep in the arm chair.

"That can't have been comfortable," she remarked, pointing to the large chair Hermione had slept in with Ron. "You've got to have a sore back, or neck, from lying like that all night."

Hermione blushed. "I'm not terribly stiff, but I don't think I'll be sleeping in that chair again," she confessed, moving over to stand at the back of it.

"You and Ron can have the couch tonight," Ginny teased slyly, watching Hermione turn even redder.

"Well, that's thoughtful of you," she shot back sarcastically. "You two looked quite comfortable, I noticed."

"We were," Ginny laughed, unabashed. "My dad wasn't terribly pleased. I overheard a conversation they were having about it. He didn't seem too concerned about Ron though, so he must either think you two aren't serious, or you're serious enough that he doesn't need to worry."

"I'm guessing that wasn't it," Hermione advised. "You're his little girl, so I expect it was more the fact that Harry's hands were all over you that bothered him."

Ginny laughed and the sound suddenly caused Ron to stir and open his eyes.

"'Time is it?" he asked thickly, stretching his long arms over his head.

"Eight-thirty or so," Hermione said, ruffling his hair playfully. He reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling her wrist around to kiss it lightly as he got to his feet. "We probably should go down, everyone must be awake."

"Harry's not up yet," Ron observed as he stretched. Ginny noticed he too had gotten much skinnier over the last year. "'Spose we should wake him up?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head, but Ginny knelt down in front of the couch and reached out to place her hand gently against Harry's cheek.

"Harry?" She reached out and shook his shoulder gently, "Harry…"

"You're too quiet," Ron scoffed. "OI! Harry! Wake up!" he bellowed, leaning over the couch.

Harry's eyes shot open and he flailed himself off the couch and onto the floor. Ginny jumped out of his way glaring at her brother.

"Ron!" Hermione gasped at him. Ron was obviously trying to not to laugh as he hung his head in mock shame.

"Git," Ginny spat at him. "Harry, are you alright?"

Harry lay face down on the floor, his glasses in his hand. "I'll remember this when you're peacefully dreaming next time," he muttered into the carpet. He turned his head to look at Ginny staring at him and smiled. "I'm fine, no worries. Was there a reason for the abrupt awakening?"

"Yeah, we're hungry," Ron laughed from behind the couch. Ginny glared at him as Hermione tried not to laugh.

"You're so pleasant," Ginny scoffed as she stood watching Harry get to his feet.

"Don't worry," Harry said, putting his arm around her shoulders. "I woke him up by hanging him upside down from the ankle one time. Turnabout is fair play, I guess," he said with a small laugh.

"Ahh!" Ron nodded. "I remember that. So yeah, now we're even," he continued with a smile.

The four of them headed down to breakfast in the Great Hall. Only a few people remained at Hogwarts through the night, Neville and Luna amongst them. Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Percy had gone to stay in Hogsmeade for the night, as had Kingsley and his team. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were sitting talking with George. As the quartet sat down to eat, Hagrid came in from outside looking a little shaken. He walked by the table where everyone sat and smiled at the sight of them.

"All righ' everyone? Nice mornin' ou'," he said a little shaky.

"Are you all right, Hagrid?" Hermione asked.

"Yeh," he said nodding vigorously. "Yeh', jus' bin busy. Got logs an' stuff for Kingsley when they came back. Moved Him ou' there."

"You moved Voldemort?" Harry asked, standing up abruptly. "Is someone out there with the body?"

"Yeh'," Hagrid nodded. "Bill came back this mornin'. He's ou' there, and Professor McGonagall."

"Right," Harry said. "Is Kingsley coming back soon?"

"We just got a message from him about ten minutes ago saying they were on their way. He should be here any minute, Harry," Mr. Weasley explained as he stood up and moved around the table. Ron and George also got to their feet.

"Right," Harry said looking at the floor. "We should go out there then, shouldn't we?" He asked looking at Mr. Weasley.

"Yes, if you want to Harry, we should head out," Mr. Weasley agreed.

Harry stepped away from the bench, watching as Ron walked toward him along with Neville and George. But as Ginny, Hermione and Luna stood to follow, Mr. Weasley turned around.

"Actually, you girls should probably stay here," He said. "Molly is staying, and Fleur will be coming back in along with Professor McGonagall. We'll take care of this and be right back."

Luna nodded her head slowly. "Yes, I suppose that's best. Witnessing the destruction of something so evil can cause permanent damage to your mind if you are not prepared," she explained. Hermione looked at Ginny, who was glaring at her father.

"We're coming down there," she said defiantly.

"No, Ginny, you are not coming," Mr. Weasley replied sternly. "I am not Hermione, nor Luna's parent, so I cannot force them to do anything, but I think that it's best if you all stay here. What Luna said is not untrue, and this isn't just coming from me, it's coming from Kingsley. You are staying here."

"Well maybe they should stay too, then" Ginny replied, pointing at Harry, Ron, George and Neville.

"The boys are of age, you are not." Ginny grimaced at this familiar reasoning. "I think Harry, at least, has a right to see this finished," he replied simply.

Ginny usually quelled under his stern gaze, but she was feeling brave this morning. She knew this was all true, but she also knew it was not the only reason her father wanted Harry to come along.

"Dad-"

"Ginevra, no, that's final." With that he turned and walked away. Hermione sat down and put her hand on Ginny's arm.

Ron, George, and Neville followed Mr. Weasley out the door. Harry put his hands on Ginny's shoulders and quickly kissed her.

"I'll be fine, just stay here," he said soothingly. She glared but resumed her seat.

Harry turned and ran after the others, checking to make sure he had his wand as he went. As they approached the front doors, they ran into Kingsley and Sabrina in the Entrance Hall.

"Ah, good. We were just coming to get you," Kingsley greeted quickly. He turned around again and they began to trek out to the area by the lake that Hagrid had prepared.

As they walked, Harry noticed Mr. Weasley's pace had slowed and he was lagging behind the group. Ron and Neville were both talking to Kingsley about what was to take place, discussing the plan for controlling the cursed fire they were about to unleash. Harry slowed and fell in step beside Mr. Weasley, curious about his disposition this morning.

"Did Ginny settle down?" he asked Harry quietly as they walked.

"Yes, she sat down with Hermione and Luna," he said just as quietly. "What's the plan?"

Mr. Weasley cleared his throat. "Someone will need to cast the spell, the remainder of us will stand around the pyre that Hagrid set up and cast Shield charms to keep it in place while the body burns. Tim said that with all of us they won't have a problem keeping the fire under control."

The group approached the pile of logs Hagrid had arranged and began to spread out. Bill kissed Fleur, then she and Professor McGonagall began to walk back toward the castle. For the first time since the battle, Harry found himself face to face with his enemy.

Tom Riddle was wearing the same robes he had died in, the same robes he had clothed himself with upon his emergence from the cauldron three years earlier. His eyelids were closed; Harry no longer had to see the red eyes that haunted his dreams the night before last, but the snakelike face was no longer hidden by a hood, as Riddle's lifeless body lay on his back upon the pyre. The white, lipless face was blank, no expression of peacefulness, or any other emotion, on the sinister features.

Harry stared, his mind filling with images of all the people who had died at Riddle's hands, or the hands of his followers. His parents, Sirius, Lupin, Fred, Tonks…so many faces flickered through his mind. He felt the familiar anger rise within him as he thought of his enemy, but then remembered that it was over. There were no more Horcruxes, and Tom Riddle was about to be destroyed forever.

Another thought raced through Harry's mind; if his sworn enemy, as defined by the prophecy, was now finished, who was Harry now? "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord_…" The Dark Lord had been vanquished, the prophecy fulfilled; what was Harry now that he was no longer "_The Boy Who Lived?"_

"Harry, are you ready?" asked Kingsley's deep voice, wrenching Harry away from his thoughts. He nodded, unable to say anything specific.

"You want the incantation?" Kingsley asked.

"What?"

"Would you like to do it?"

Harry stared; the faces of the people in the circle were all on him. The Aurors looked from him to Kingsley with a quizzical look in each of their eyes. The Weasley's all looked at him with supportive but concerned expressions. Neville's eyes were wide with fear, and Ron stood next to Harry with the same expression his father and brothers wore.

Harry looked across the circle to Kingsley; he hadn't anticipated the possibility of having to cast the spell. Kingsley's eyes were full of complete confidence and faith in Harry's abilities. Harry nodded again.

"All right," Kingsley said, his expression becoming more serious. "The incantation is '_Bellua Incendio'. _When you cast it, the feeling will be similar to that of the Imperius Curse; you will have to concentrate and control the flames the same way you would control a person under the curse. You remember that feeling?"

Harry nodded, unaware until now that Kingsley knew what they had done to Travers during the break-in at Gringotts. He did not, however, have time at the moment to fully analyze this, and how Kingsley knew about it when Travers was still at large.

"Good. Now, Harry, to stop the spell, the incantation is _'Desino'. __Finite Incantatem_ will not work on this type of spell. Are you sure you're ready?" Kingsley asked again.

"Yes. Tell me when," he said, pulling the Phoenix wand from his pocket. The familiar warmth ran through his fingers as he held the weapon in front of him.

Throughout the circle he heard several mutters of '_Protego_' and watched as Shield charms blossomed out around the area they stood. The shields fused together to form a giant dome, their casters on the outside. Harry was not covered, but he was also not scared. On the contrary, the confidence inside him ballooned as he prepared to cast the spell to destroy Tom Riddle…Voldemort...forever.

"Now," Kingsley's voice said quietly.

"_Bellua Incendio!"_ Harry shouted, waving his wand like he was cracking a whip.

He watched as a string of white hot fire appeared and hung briefly like a firework in the air. Remembering how he had to move his wand to puppeteer Travers around Gringotts, he waved the wand towards Riddle's body and watched as the flames climbed along his robes like insects crawling over the ground.

There was an eerie green glow as the flames licked along the body, and sparks flew and began to catch onto the logs around them as the robes were burned away. Tom Riddle's body suddenly burst into flames and different color sparks flew all around him.

Harry was partially blinded by the glare coming from the fire, he saw that it was catching onto the logs around the body and trying to spread. He concentrated his mind solely on keeping the flames in a tight formation, specifically around the body. The pyre around it was catching fire quickly because of the intense heat, but he wanted to keep the concentration of the spell on Riddle's body alone. He watched closely for the moment that all the logs were aflame and burning hot, knowing, instinctively, that this would be when he could stop the spell.

A strangled hissing noise issued from the pyre and Harry stepped back along with everyone else making the dome expand even more. The hissing noise grew into a quiet, but somehow still ear-piercing scream. The sound seemed to travel into Harry's bones, making him shiver with fear. He refocused his efforts, and willed the fire from his wand to increase, hopefully finishing this task quickly.

The woodpile suddenly exploded in flame. Choking green smoke and ash filled the dome and Harry shut his eyes. He heard the shield charms disappear and shouted "D_esino!_" to stop the spell. When he opened his eyes, there was a tower of fire at least 6 feet high in front of him. The flames danced over the wood like sprites. He expected the creatures he imagined to leap out and attack him, but stayed within the wood pile set up to house Riddle's final resting place. Harry and the others watched for a long time as the fire burned; slowly, the eerie screaming subsided as the burning wound down and became normal. Soon all that was left was a small, controlled fire that would, in a few hours time, burn down to nothing but ash.

"It's done," Harry muttered to himself. He saw Ron nod out of the corner of his eye, and reach up to grasp his shoulder. Slowly, the group backed away and started to walk back up to the castle. Kingsley, Tim and Sabrina stayed behind. Harry stayed for a few more seconds, thinking again of all that had been lost because of one person. He then thought of Ginny waiting for him, and turned on his heel to walk back to the castle of Hogwarts, his home, and all that was waiting for him inside.


	7. Intentions

A/N: Craziness! It's been crazy is why it's been so far and between in updates, but getting back on track. Thank you for all the reviews and positive feedback! It's very much appreciated. Thank you thank you thank you to my Beta - Afterglow. She keeps me going =).

* * *

Intentions

"Moses" Coldplay

* * *

Harry caught up and found himself walking in step with Mr. Weasley again, who purposely seemed to be lagging behind the group.

"Harry, that was very impressive magic," he complimented, turning toward him and smiling. "You're incredibly talented and you've accomplished so much. It's been wonderful to watch you grow up all these years."

"Thank you, Mr. Weasley," Harry said, feeling a bit taken back by his sudden praise. He had always respected Mr. Weasley, and in some ways had come to regard him as both a confidant and a father figure. But he'd never had a conversation with him that began as this one did.

"Harry, I need to ask you something," Mr. Weasley began. "I know you and Ron are not planning on returning to school. But I'd like to know what your intentions are?"

"Oh," Harry said. "Well, after my O.W.L.'s I took the recommended classes necessary for Auror training, so did Ron. That's still my goal eventually, though I'm not sure exactly how to get there. I know Professor McGonagall told me that more school is required, I think she said three years," he said, looking up at Mr. Weasley, hoping for some suggestions as to where to begin with this goal.

Mr. Weasley smiled gently, "You'll have to ask Kingsley, but that sounds like a good plan. Is Ron planning on going with you?"

"Um, we haven't had a chance to talk about it really," Harry confessed.

"Hmm," he said. His expression was strange; not angry or sad, but confused and mingled, as though he was struggling with what to say next.

"I think I haven't been completely honest with you, Harry," Mr. Weasley said, suddenly stopping and causing Harry to backtrack a few steps to continue their conversation. The rest of the group had gone on into the castle to resume whatever projects lay ahead. Harry stood at attention in front of Mr. Weasley, not entirely sure of what he was about to say.

"I'm glad you told me about your career plans, and I support you in them. I think you would make a very good Auror. You have always been a great friend to Ron and my other children, and an asset and joy to have in our family. But Harry, I do want to know something specific," he began, looking sternly into Harry's eyes.

"Of course, Mr. Weasley," Harry said, a little confused. "Anything."

"What are your intentions with my daughter?"

"Oh!" Harry exclaimed. He had expected this at some point, just not so soon. He felt stupid for not realizing it was coming, it had hardly gone unnoticed that he was hugging and kissing Ginny every chance he got. Suddenly he wondered if they had found them lying together on the couch last night. He felt his cheeks grow hot under Mr. Weasley's gaze, but wanted to answer as honestly as possible.

"Right," he started, searching for the right words. "Mr. Weasley-"

"Harry, we've known each other long enough, you can call me Arthur," he said gently. He did, however, retain the stern look in his eyes.

"Arthur…right," muttered Harry. He looked around quickly, part of him silently willing Ron to come back and rescue him from this questioning or at least help him out. It appeared that he was on his own.

"Arthur, how much do you know about Ginny and I?"

"Well, George told us last night that you two were together before Dumbledore died, but you broke it off."

"Right, we were. I broke it off because I knew what Dumbledore had left me to do and I knew Ginny. She would have demanded to come along and I couldn't have that, it was too dangerous. I was afraid my association with her would put her in danger. What she went through her first year, Ron getting poisoned, you being attacked, Fred…it seemed safer to not let on how close I was to her so she hopefully wouldn't be targeted any more than you all were already," he tried to explain.

"Yes, I understand that. Harry we appreciate your concern, for all of us. I've said it before, it was a lucky day when Ron sat next to you on the Hogwarts Express," Arthur complimented as Harry looked at him incredulously. "We've been in danger, yes, but we would have been regardless of our association with you. You have brought so much to our household it's been worth the risk," he finished.

Harry nodded, blushing even more at Arthur's gratitude for his presence in their lives when it had caused them so much trouble.

"But the danger has passed for the most part, Harry. What do you want now?" Arthur asked quizzically.

Harry looked directly into Mr. Weasley's eyes. He noticed as he did that they were the same color blue as Ron's. He felt a little more at ease, but still nervous about what he was going to admit.

"I want her," he said simply. "I have for two years, the entire time we were traveling. I'm in love with her…with Ginny," he confessed, forcing himself to not drop his head and continue staring directly into Arthur Weasley's blue eyes.

"Do you plan to care for her, provide for her, uphold her honor and respect her? I know that people can change their minds, Harry, I've seen it happen. People grow up and go different ways. But do you plan to try, as much as you possibly can, to not hurt her?" Arthur asked his eyes intense with fear and hope.

"Yes," Harry said, staring back at him. "I do. I don't ever want to hurt her again. Ginny is… wonderful. I love her, and I mean that."

"Well," Arthur said, his expression suddenly changing from stern back to the jovial one he typically wore. "In that case, you have my permission to court her…er…seek her out, date her, go around with her, whatever you call it these days. I'm glad we got that out of the way," he said, clapping Harry on the shoulder and sighing in relief.

"Right," Harry breathed, relieved himself. "Thanks Mr. Weasley."

"Arthur, Harry. Please call me Arthur," he said smiling.

They turned around and walked through the castle doors, beginning a discussion about the repairs that still needed to be done. They hadn't gotten very far into the Main Entrance when Ginny's small figure rounded the corner and began to approach them.

"There you two are, what's going on? Everyone was back minutes ago," she said, looking from Harry to her father and back again.

"Harry and I were just having a little chat about his intentions," Arthur said simply. He patted his daughter on her shoulder, kissed the top of her head and proceeded to the Great Hall, leaving Harry and Ginny standing in the doorway.

"Harry, what did he want?" Ginny questioned in a low voice. She looked concerned, confused, and slightly angry at the thought of her father interrogating the man she had come to love, though she had not yet admitted that fact to anyone.

"Nothing Ginny, he just asked me about what I was going to do now," Harry responded smiling.

"Really?" she asked skeptically.

"Yeah really," he grinned, reaching out to pull her into his arms. "And now I have permission to 'court you', so I don't need to feel ashamed about doing this in public," he teased as he placed one hand behind her head and pulled her lips to his, kissing her tenderly as his heart burst with joy at the thought.

******

***

The next few days passed in a blur for everyone. The funeral ceremony for all who had died in the battle was held on the grounds near Dumbledore's repaired tomb. Harry had replaced the Elder Wand to its rightful owner and repaired the white monument himself the night prior to the ceremony. The bodies of those whom were being laid to rest had been moved to cemeteries earlier, but their families came in droves to hear the eulogies given by professors and students in honor of the bravery shown by each person who had died.

George spoke for his fallen brother, stating that Fred had died doing what he loved most; laughing alongside his family and friends. He went on to say that Fred's spirit would always be with those he loved when they were in need of humor the most and that Fred would not have wanted anyone to mourn him, but instead would want laughter and joy in everyone's hearts to reflect the life he lived. To finish, George set off a fabulous display of fireworks which turned into red-haired dragons and cackled mischievously before exploding into a shower of joke wands for everyone to keep.

Kingsley delivered a somber speech for Remus Lupin, stating that during that the short time they had known one another Remus had become like a brother to him. Harry approached the front as well to deliver his own message regarding the man who had become a brother to James Potter, and a brother to Harry. He explained that Lupin had privately stated that he would miss getting to know his newborn son, but hoped that Teddy would realize what his parents were fighting for and lead a life reflecting their choices.

Andromeda Tonks, whom Harry realized had lost her entire family in the war, stepped up to deliver a short speech for her daughter. She stated that Tonks, also, had died exactly the way she wanted and that her bubbly spirit, personality and love for life would live on through her son. Harry's first meeting with his newborn godson was one filled with tears, but also with joy as they talked about the new life in midst of death.

"Look at how much hair he has already!" Mrs. Weasley cooed when she held the baby for the first time. "I suppose it changes colors with his moods?"

Andromeda nodded. She was at a loss for words but allowed everyone to coo and comment on her grandson and only remaining family. When it was Harry's turn to hold Teddy he felt nervous, but found that the sleeping child wasn't as squirmy and excited as he had expected.

"He's only a month old, he'll get rambunctious as he grows," Andromeda warned, smiling at Harry. "You will come 'round won't you? I know Remus and Dora wanted you to be there," she said with a little concern in her voice.

"Of course I will," Harry assured her, smiling at his godson. "Whenever you need me I will try to be there."

Ginny and Hermione grinned as they watched Harry hold the sleeping newborn. Ron heard comments about marriage and babies and what their own children would look like and rolled his eyes.

"Girls, Harry, I tell you," he whispered to Harry later. "They see a baby and they just go mad! I've never heard Hermione talk like that, like she was possessed!"

"He was cute," Harry offered, trying to explain the behavior.

"Was he hard to hold?"

"Nah, he just slept. Don't worry, you'll be fine when you've got one of your own," he teased and Ron shuddered at the thought.

They spent their final night at Hogwarts discussing plans with Ron and Ginny's family, Professor McGonagall, Kingsley and Hagrid. Neville and Luna had gone home to their families after the funerals, along with Bill and Fleur. Charlie said he would remain for a few more weeks, but then would need to return to Romania. George wondered when the shop would re-open, and Percy with his family working to repair his relationship with his parents, and because he wasn't sure he had a job any longer.

"It will all work out boys, please don't fuss about it," Mrs. Weasley soothed. "Let's just enjoy the time together, it's been so long for all of us that we've had any peace."

The house elves prepared an amazing meal that rivaled the best feasts any of them had experienced at Hogwarts. Everyone ate as though this would be their last supper, the stress of the past few days finally lifted and everything was returning to a normal state.

"Potter, Weasley," Professor McGonagall asked, looking at Ron and Harry with a scrutinizing stare. "I hear you are not planning on returning to Hogwarts to finish your final year?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other, then immediately turned their eyes to Hermione who sat with the same shocked expression on her face. Realizing it was not her who tattled on them about their plans, they both began to stutter for an explanation to their plans.

"I thought both you boys wanted to move into the Auror office?" she interrupted them. "I know you both have done much over the past years, no one is denying that, but I thought that the additional schooling required would be your focus now."

"Well, George needs help re-opening the shop and I don't think that I'm quite ready for more school after last year," Ron offered, trying to sound overly stressed. He turned away as Hermione scrutinized him with her brown eyes.

"Potter, what about you?" Professor McGonagall said, turning her eyes to Harry. Before he could speak, Kingsley's voice echoed from down the table.

"I'm sure something can be worked out, Minerva," he offered, not turning away from his plate of food. "I've been talking to the department head and we may be able to arrange some on-the-job schooling for both boys when they are interested," he finished.

Harry's heart jumped. Would it be possible he could move straight into the career he had wanted for so long? He didn't want to get his hopes up too high. "That would be great Minister, but I don't want anyone to go to any trouble. If the extra school is required I can take that route," he said, trying to mask the excitement in his voice.

"Nonsense Harry, it's no trouble at all," Kingsley said, getting to his feet. "I'll see what I can dig up from Lansing and we'll go from there. But now I must be off, I'm rather tired myself and in the morning we're going to start the process of rebuilding and overturning the ridiculous laws that have come into place within the last year. I'll be in touch with all of you," he said, shaking hands with each of them before turning to the door to leave.

"Wow, Harry," Ron whispered later as they walked back to the Gryffindor Common Room. "You could get right in. That would be great, you think?"

"Yeah," Harry said uncertainly. He was torn between the thought of being in the office, and distraught at the fact that Ginny would be at Hogwarts still. She and Hermione were walking ahead discussing scheduling, as they would be in the same year and planned to take a few courses together.

"Well you don't need to decide tonight, do you?" Ron said, sensing Harry's hesitancy. "You've got a few months to figure it out."

Harry nodded as they approached the Portrait. Inside the Common Room the Weasley's were gathering their belongings and sending them into the fireplace back to the Burrow, which had been reconnected to the Floo Network by Kingsley the previous day.

"Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said as they walked through the Portrait hole. "I've got your stuff here with ours. Ron said you were going to stay here at Hogwarts until you found your parents. Please, come to the Burrow with us, you can stay with us until you locate them. You are more than welcome." She put her arms around Hermione when she approached.

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," Hermione blushed. Ron squeezed her hand before kissing her gently on the cheek.

"Harry we haven't sent your stuff through yet, but you know you are welcome to come home with us as well," Mrs. Weasley said as she threw powder onto Ginny's trunk and watched it twirl away in the green flames.

"Yes, I know, thank you Mrs. Weasley," he said. "I told Kreacher to go to Grimmauld Place first though. I think I should contact my Aunt and Uncle and make sure they are out of hiding, then I'll probably come over tomorrow," he said, glancing at Ginny. He wanted so badly to spend the night with her again, but knew he had things to take care of before he could really enjoy that time.

"Of course dear, but just keep in touch. Anytime you need anything just come on through," she said, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek before stepping into the fireplace herself and vanishing from sight.

The rest of the Weasley's followed suit, shouting "The Burrow!" as they twisted into the green flames and vanished. Hermione gave him a tight hug before stepping in herself, Ron following after. Ginny was the last one to go, and she stood with her foot in the fireplace gripping Harry's hand.

"You're sure you want to go there?" she asked in a concerned voice. "Perhaps wait a few days?"

"No, the sooner I get it done with the sooner I can move on," he assured her, gripping her hand tightly.

"Would you like some company?" she offered with a grin.

Harry chuckled, and said, "Yes, but as I've just gotten permission to 'court' you, I'd better take it easy first," he said leaning in to kiss her soft lips sweetly. He felt her resistance at ending the kiss and chuckled slightly. "You'd better be on before your Dad comes back through the place and takes you by force," he said, resting his forehead against hers. She sighed and turned around and stepped into the flames with a small smile on her face. He watched as her figure twisted out of sight waving to him.

Harry sighed. He looked around at the Common Room one last time before stepping into the fireplace and shouting "Number 12 Grimmauld Place!" to return to his inherited house, not knowing what he would find.


	8. Identity

Identity

"Epiphany" Staind

* * *

The next few weeks allowed Harry to settle into a familiar routine. Kreacher returned to making Harry's favorite meals when he stayed at Grimmauld Place, which was mostly every night. Three or four times a week he would travel to the Burrow to visit his surrogate family and spend the evenings with them before returning home. It became more difficult as the weeks went on to leave. He and Ginny were becoming closer, spending as much time together as possible, and he enjoyed the raucous and over-joyous atmosphere of the Burrow much more than the quiet somber tone of Grimmauld Place. The silence that seemed to echo from every corner of the house did little to assuage the identity crisis lingering in the back of Harry's mind.

"Perhaps Master would be happier if his friends came to visit. Kreacher doesn't wish to see his master so solemn at home," the elf said one night after Harry had returned home late and was having dessert in the kitchen.

"I am happy here, Kreacher. This is fantastic, by the way," Harry assured him, taking a bite of the treacle tart the elf had made from scratch. "Maybe things will be easier when I have more to do during the day," he said, thinking of Kingsley's offer. He hadn't heard from him since the last night at Hogwarts but had thrown the idea around in his head almost every night. Harry was sure that a job, especially one as an Auror, would help him get over the lingering feeling of uncertainty that had plagued him since the morning of Voldemort's final destruction.

Harry and Kreacher were walking through the house discussing some changes Harry was planning on making to the décor the next morning. They had just finished removing the old, peeling wallpaper from the walls of the sitting room when there was a knock at the door of Grimmauld Place. Harry was slightly concerned as he and Kreacher made their way to the door, no one who visited him ever used the front entrance. He was pleasantly surprised to see Kingsley standing outside the door dressed in Muggle clothing and holding a stack of papers.

As Kreacher opened the door the familiar "Severus Snape?" call echoed from the disembodied voice of Mad-Eye Moody. The dust figure arose and Kingsley muttered, "I didn't kill you," causing it to explode.

"Kingsley," Harry said, clearing the air with a wave of his wand. "Sorry about that, still haven't figured out how to make it stop exactly," he confessed, reaching out to shake the Minster's hand.

"I should hope not. Mad-Eye made that as fool proof as he could, but let me see what I can do," he offered, stepping over the spot where the dust figure continually rose up every time Harry came and went out the front door. He waved his wand and muttered "_Tutela Desino,_" and they watched as a small whirlwind of dust appeared and ascended toward the ceiling, disappearing with a whisper.

"That should do it," he said, putting his wand back into an attachment to his belt loop. "I hope I'm not disturbing you too early."

"No, not at all, we were just discussing redecorating. Kreacher, could you make us some tea?" Harry asked, beckoning Kingsley forward. Kreacher bowed and hurried off to the kitchen. Harry guided Kingsley into the sitting room and they both took chairs opposite each other as Kreacher bustled back in with two teacups and a pot.

"He's improved drastically," Kingsley said, commenting on the elf's change of attitude from the last time he had been at Grimmauld Place.

"Yes, we uh…it's kind of a long story, I'll tell you sometime. What can I do for you?" Harry asked curiously.

"Harry, I'm here to offer you a job within the Ministry. I've arranged it with the Head of the Auror Department, Gideon Lansing, whom you met at Hogwarts briefly, to have you work part time with their office and take some N.E.W.T. credits for Potions, Transfiguration, Charms and Herbology. I'm not worried about your scores for Defense Against the Dark Arts, you were one of the only students in the last few years to get an Outstanding O.W.L. But it seemed to me you were a little unsure of your abilities in the other areas, so you can take advantage of those opportunities if you wish," Kingsley explained, handing the packet of paper to Harry.

All the details are in there; your pay rate, job requirements, and other information. If you decide to accept the position you'll be working alongside Lansing, Tim Holcombe, Morgan Proudfoot and Sabrina Lutz, whom you also met at Hogwarts. The department has been completely reorganized in the wake of the Ministry infiltration by the Death Eaters, and I can definitely say that you would be an asset to the team," he smiled.

Harry was speechless. There were several things running through his head at the same time: Ginny… was he ready to work… would he be able to keep up with school and an actual job? As the thoughts raced, a feeling of joy also spread through him. He was getting his wish. He remembered Dolores Umbridge's threat that he would never be allowed into the Ministry as an employee, and here was Kingsley with an offer in hand to be in the most elite department within it.

"If you'd like some time to think about it, that's no problem Harry," said Kingsley, observing his silence.

"No," Harry said suddenly, banishing the thoughts and worries from his mind. "No, I think this is great. I would love to take it, but I do have some things I need to do. I know that Hermione is planning on going to Australia in a few weeks. She put a memory charm on her parents to make them go into hiding and wants to find them again. Ron and I are planning on going with her to help, so I'd be gone for probably a week or two and I'm not sure if that would be a problem," he said, looking at Kingsley with a concerned expression.

"No, that wouldn't be a problem. Would you want to go ahead and start now and then not start the course work until September?" Kingsley offered.

"Yeah, that would be great! Will they be okay with that?"

"I'll talk to Lansing and explain; they understand obviously that you are coming off a year on the run and may want to take some time off. But I know they could use your help if you'd be able. They've finalized a list of Death Eaters still at large and are planning on issuing warrants in the next few weeks. Rounding them up may be difficult, and of course any new threats that come up now," Kingsley said, shaking his head at the thought.

"Yeah, I can do that. Where are the Death Eaters they captured being held?" Harry asked.

"They're in Azkaban. We have guards stationed around the clock; it's actually created a whole new department within the Ministry to handle that task alone."

"What about the Dementors?" asked Harry.

"We are no longer going to employ them as guards of anything, as I think you remember how that turned out. Though something will need to be done about the mass number of them eventually," said Kingsley, reminding Harry of the mass break out in his fifth year.

"Right," Harry nodded. "But you can't destroy a Dementor, can you?"

"No, but we can isolate them and move them to an area where they will not have access to the human population to feed off of. Eventually, if they run out of food, I'm assuming they will die, but no one knows for sure. Either way, the Ministry has decided for the good of both the Wizarding and Muggle world that we no longer associate ourselves with them," Kingsley said in a very final tone of voice.

Harry nodded and said, "I couldn't agree more, Minister."

"Just call me Kingsley. I don't think I'll get used to the Minister title for a while. I'll tell Lansing you'll report to work on Monday? That will give you the rest of this week and the weekend to rest up and get ready," he said, standing up.

"Yes, that sounds great. Thanks Kingsley, I appreciate it," Harry said, extending his hand again.

"Not a problem, Harry," Kingsley smiled, shaking Harry's hand. "After everything you've done for us, it's the least we can do for you. I must be going now, still trying to plan the restructuring. Let me know if you need anything in the mean time."

Harry walked Kingsley to the door and said their goodbyes. He shut the door and leant against it. An Auror- he was going to be an Auror just a year out of Hogwarts. He felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment sweep through him as he rushed into the kitchen.

"Kreacher, I'm heading to the Burrow for a while. I'm not sure if I'll be back tonight," Harry said as he grabbed the sack of clothes he had packed the other night in case he stayed with Ginny.

"Kreacher will continue to write down the planned redecorations for the house," the elf offered with a bow.

"Sure, that's great!" Harry said, smiling. He could hardly contain his excitement, and he wanted to tell everyone as soon as he could. "I'll just call when I need you then?"

"Of course Master," Kreacher said from his low bow. "Kreacher overheard Mr. Kingsley's news. Congratulations, Master."

"Thanks, I'll see you later then!" Harry exclaimed, running to the fireplace and disappearing as the green flames burst around him.

Ginny was sitting at the dining room table when Harry stepped out of the fireplace covered in ash and grinning from ear to ear. "Harry!" she exclaimed, jumping up to hug him. "What are you doing here?"

"Kingsley stopped by, they've arranged it so I can take up a job in the Auror office part time and finish out my N.E.W.T studies while I work. I can start Monday," he exclaimed, hugging her tightly.

"That's… That's great Harry! Did he just come now?" She asked, her eyes wide as she pulled back to look at him.

"Yeah, he just left and I came right here. Where is everyone?" he asked, looking around. He noticed Ginny was still in her bathrobe, her hair wet from a shower.

"Mum and Dad went into the village to get some groceries. George went back to London this morning to try and get everything rolling with the shop again. I think Percy must have gone to the Ministry about his job, Charlie went with him. Ron and Hermione are around, or they may have gone to Diagon Alley for some things," she said, turning from him and taking a plate to the kitchen.

His exuberance at the offer from Kingsley was still in his head as he followed Ginny into the kitchen. He studied Ginny closely as she rinsed off her plate and set it beside the sink, and he could see that she had dark circles under her eyes and looked as though she had not slept well. His smile faded.

"Are you all right?" he asked, moving beside her to look at a picture of her family by the sink. All of the Weasleys were waving excitedly and standing by a pyramid; he recognized it as the picture from the Daily Prophet from when Mr. Weasley had won the galleon drawing and they had gone to Egypt to visit Bill.

"Yes," she clipped, still keeping her eyes away from him. This wasn't like the usual greetings he had gotten used to from her. She walked from the kitchen back to the dining room and began fussing with some papers lying on the table. Harry's excitement dissipated as he realized that something was bothering her.

"Ginny?" he asked, walking over to stand beside her. "What's going on?"

Ignoring his question she said "So, I expect Kinglsey will have you running off on a hunt for the Death Eaters again, right? How many of you will be going?"

"I don't think that's the plan," Harry said, moving around, trying to face her. "I'll start studying through the University in September, but until then I think it'll just be training at the office in the Ministry."

"Well that will be nice, at least you won't have to travel much," she said, turning her back on him and walking back into the kitchen. Harry felt like a game of tag was beginning between them.

"Ginny, are you okay? Are you…upset about this?" he asked, feeling the bottom of his stomach drop out.

"No, Harry, no, I'm not upset. I'm very happy for you, this is what you love…it's what you've dreamed of, right?" she muttered quietly.

"Yes, but…I'd be a bit happier about it if you'd look at me. What's going on?" he pried, trying again to position himself so she would have to face him.

She sighed deeply and kept her face down and as she moved around in a circle with him. "George took off in a hurry this morning, he's finally starting to realize that Fred is gone. I think being so busy helped and now that he's not, he's a bit lost. Mum and Dad tried to talk to him but he just took off, said he didn't want to be around anyone for a while."

Harry's heart sank. He already felt guilty enough for the loss and extra burden he'd brought on the Weasley family, and this just confirmed his feelings and fears that he was responsible for so much of their pain. The nagging feeling of uncertainty rose in his chest again; now that he was no longer The Chosen One, perhaps a period of suffering was due to him for not being able to fulfill the Prophecy sooner.

Ginny finally turned to face Harry as he became lost in his thoughts. "He's fine Harry, he's just trying to deal with it. Ron said he'll come around and I know he will, so don't worry about it."

She smiled sweetly, but then turned her face from him again and began moving back toward the sitting room.

"I'm sorry," Harry muttered, no longer pursuing her. "I'm really sorry. Maybe I should go, we can talk about this some other time…" he offered, stepping slowly to the fireplace.

"No Harry, stay. They'll want to hear this, it's wonderful news," she said in a strained attempt at cheerfulness. She walked back toward him to prevent him from leaving.

"Are you happy?" he asked her suddenly.

"Of course I'm happy for you," she laughed. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"You just…well you're not looking at me and I'm not sure why."

She was quiet, standing next to the hearth on which Mrs. Weasley kept her family clock. Harry looked over at the hands of the clock, all were pointing in different directions. Fred's had disappeared entirely.

"I suppose I won't see much of you next year, will I?" she questioned after a few moments. "I'll be at Hogwarts with Hermione, you'll be in London. I'm not sure what Ron is doing. You'll probably come around for holidays though, right? Or just to see us?" she continued in a clipped voice.

He turned toward her. "Ginny, it won't be like that. I'm not sure what Ron's plans are, but I'm sure they include seeing Hermione so we'll be at Hogwarts from time to time. I can't go for two days without seeing you or talking to you, so I'll be tagging along, I'm sure," he said, reaching for her.

She dodged his grasp and moved toward the stairs, "Well I'm sure you'll be busy with school and Auror training... probably be too busy to come that often," she said as she began walking up them. "Plus, if you have to go off hunting more Death Eaters and helping the Auror team you'll be very distracted," she said as she rounded the corner into her room.

Harry froze, not sure if he should follow her or not. He felt his heart ache inside his chest; he didn't know how to approach her or what she was feeling. He walked up the stairs, trying to think how he could explain to her that he could never be distracted from her.

"I don't think it'll be that busy, it's pretty quiet now," he offered, still standing in the hallway.

"You broke it off before because you were worried that I would be targeted. What about now, if the same thing happens? George pointed out that as well, he said that if there was any danger at all you'd just take off again," she mumbled, her voice cracking from inside her bedroom.

"Ginny, the danger is not the same this time, you know that. And George shouldn't have said that. It's not true. I will never just take off and leave you again, I promise." Harry felt a surge of anger run through him.

"Still though, lots of possibilities in London and with the Auror office. Lots of travel, plenty of opportunities to show how brave you are," she muttered.

Harry felt anger mingled with a rush of sadness. Did she think so little of him? He approached her door, opening it slowly. She had her back to him, and was staring out the window, her arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

"Is that what you think I was doing this past year? Proving to the world how brave I am?" he accused in a quiet voice.

She sighed deeply, a heavy, sober sound. "No Harry, that's not what I think. I shouldn't have said that, I'm sorry. I know why you were out there, and I know why you had to go."

Harry stood in her doorway with a mixture frustration, fear and sadness coursing through his veins. Her words echoed in his ears, "_I know_ _why you were out there_…"

"If you know the reason I was out there, you also know that reason is gone," he said, trying to keep the anger out his voice. "Why would I leave now? I have no reason to, there's nothing to distract me from what I want now."

"What do you want, Harry?" Ginny asked, turning toward him at last.

"I want you. I love you. The last thing I want to do or would ever purposely do is hurt you. And I want to _not_ feel like this anymore." he spat suddenly, the emotions and confessions he was hiding spilling out.

Ginny started at the turn of conversation. She watched as Harry lowered himself to the floor and leaned against her door frame. The doubt of his commitment to her vanishing at his words, she was now concerned about his thoughts and what he was feeling that he had so obviously hidden from everyone.

"Don't want to feel like what, Harry?" she said, approaching him and sitting across from him. She placed one hand on his knee and willed him to look into her eyes.

"Like I don't know who or what I am anymore," he muttered. "I know what I want: you, friends, and family...a normal life. From the time I entered this world I've been marked, or had some label tacked to me. _'The Boy Who Lived,' 'The Chosen One'_, and now that I'm not those things anymore, now that I don't have anything to fight against…I feel a bit…" he sputtered, unable to find the word he was looking for.

"Lost?" Ginny supplied. He nodded, finally raising his eyes to meet her.

"Lost. I can actually have what I want now, maybe… and not have to be on the lookout for Voldemort, Death Eaters, and whatever else constantly. I guess I don't really know how to go after it. I don't know what I'm supposed to do," he confessed. "Look how much suffering I've caused to your family, to Andromeda Tonks, to Hermione, to everyone who has helped me out at some point. Should I feel guilty for just moving on and trying to live a normal life now? Do I need to have some number of years alone as penance for not stopping all of this sooner?" Harry dropped his head into his hands, palms pressed to his eyes, trying to will himself out of the identity crisis he was having.

Ginny slid closer to him, and he felt her soft hands circle his wrists. She didn't try to pull his arms away, but rather leant her head against his and spoke softly to him.

"Harry, I shouldn't have said that about you proving your bravery, and I'm sorry. You've probably noticed I have a tendency to say things I don't mean when I'm angry or scared. I'm just afraid that…well, I'm afraid that with all that there is in London and the lure of something more, that I'm not enough to keep you," she confessed quietly.

Harry raised his head and pressed his forehead to hers. "Ginny, I love you. I mean that with every part of me. If I'm not sure of anything else, I'm completely sure of that," he whispered. "If anything, it's you who should be running away from some bloke who doesn't even know who he is now."

"How can you not know who you are?" she asked. "You're Harry Potter, you've got black hair, green eyes, you're taller than you were and you're skinnier than you should be. You're funny, loyal, and honest. You're a Seeker, a Quidditch captain, a rule breaker," she teased, causing him to smile. "Nothing you have done or will ever do changes any of that, and those are the really important things. Those other titles don't matter, they never did. You are you, and it's enough for me…enough for my family. Is it enough for you?"

He considered her words and recalled what she had said to him the first night they spent together in the Gryffindor Common Room. "_You have to stop taking the whole world on your shoulders. It's over, this time for good… for you, the worst part is over_…" She was right, no penance was needed for anything and he could finally be himself, and not who the world expected him to be.

Harry laced his fingers through hers and placed his hands on the sides of her face. "It's more than enough," he whispered before pressing his lips to hers softly. "Thanks for reminding me."

"And as far as feeling guilty or making amends for whatever, I don't think anyone wants you to do anything other than lead a normal life now. So, what normalcy would you like to pursue? What do you want? Who do you want to be now?" she asked, a bright smile lighting up her face.

Harry leant in and kissed her again as he reached out and took hold of her waist, pulling her to him. "I told you earlier," he said between his increasingly passionate kisses.

"I seem to have forgotten," Ginny responded as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

"I want to be yours;, I want to be your lover," he whispered, smiling slyly. "Or I'll settle for boyfriend for the time being. I want you and only you."

Ginny sighed as she felt herself being picked up and moved into her room. Harry set her on her feet and backed her into the door causing it to slam loudly. He remembered that they were the only ones in the house, and Ginny was only in her bathrobe. Her hands tangled in his hair as he pressed up against her, sliding his hands down to her waist and resting them on her hips.

Her head tipped back and exposed her neck as she ran her hands through his hair, pulling his face close to her body. He kissed the soft skin, letting her taste and smell wash over him. The robe was slipping and he could see that underneath she was in nothing but a white tank top that barely covered her and a pair of white underwear. Her hands pulled at the bottom of his shirt, and he lifted his arms as she pulled it over his head before pulling him back to her and kissing him fiercely. He marveled at the ivory color of her skin, and her scent overwhelmed him as he began to kiss across her jaw, over her neck and down her chest. His shaky hands moved to her waist again where he began to untie the belt, feeling as though he was unwrapping a piece of priceless art.

Before he could take in any more of the beautiful sight before him, there was a knock at the door and Hermione's voice broke through their quiet moment of passion.

"Ginny? Are you up? We're back and we've got some stuff for you," she said before she knocked lightly on the door again. "Ginny?"

"Damn it…of all the luck," Ginny growled, turning around and readjusting her robe. Harry backed away from her, grabbing his discarded shirt and trying to put it on quickly.

"Speak of the devil," Ginny muttered, opening the door and watching Hermione as she froze. Her hand was reaching for the door knob, and a look of shock in her eyes flashed through her eyes. "He just arrived a while ago with some news for all of us," Ginny explained breathlessly.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped, taking in the sight of Harry struggling with his t-shirt. "Oh goodness… I'm so sorry, Ginny," she whispered. "Hi Harry, um…well I'll let you get dressed and then you can come downstairs to tell us everything. Your parents are home now too, Ginny. So… I'll just say that Harry was in Ron's room waiting for you to change, right?" she chuckled quietly. Ginny nodded and motioned that she would send Harry over in a minute. Hermione walked towards Ron's room with the bags she was carrying, and Harry could tell from her posture that she was trying not to laugh.

Ginny left the door slightly ajar and walked back to Harry, who was still breathing heavily. She grinned as she kissed him lightly, pressing her body against his as he wrapped his arms around her.

"We'll continue this discussion later," she added, sliding one of her feet along the inside of his calf.

He grinned and said, "Anything you want, as long as you're with me." He kissed her deeply, but pulled away before his body out ran his head. "I'll um…I'll let you get dressed...yeah," he muttered thickly as he walked out the door with a backward glance at her, taking in her face and her Venus-like frame outlined under the bathrobe. He thought, as he approached the other room, that it was _Ron_ with bad timing issues, not Hermione. He wondered vaguely if their relationship was causing them to rub off on one another.


	9. Opening

Opening

Don't – Jewel

Looking for any reason to celebrate, the Weasley's planned a party that night at the Burrow in celebration of Harry's job offer. Harry insisted that they needn't go to any trouble, but he found himself shunted outside while Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Hermione set to work preparing a meal. Ron, Percy and Mr. Weasley had begun to move picnic tables out to the garden when George approached Harry just outside the front door.

"Harry, you got a minute?" he asked quietly.

"I've got a few," he replied, eyeing George's downcast expression. They began to walk slowly toward the end of the lane leading up to the Burrow, Harry with his hands in the pockets of his jeans waiting for George to speak.

"I need to apologize for something, Harry," George sighed, not raising his eyes from the path his feet were treading. "I said some stuff to Ginny this morning that probably upset her … and I said some things about you that I didn't mean and-"

"George," Harry interrupted. "It's all right. I understand, I've said things I don't mean before; it happens, it's a human reaction. Don't worry about it, I'm not offended."

George nodded slowly. "Still though, I needed to apologize."

Harry nodded. "Why to me though? Shouldn't you apologize to Ginny?" he asked.

For the first time since they had begun their walk, George raised his eyes. Harry studied him closely; he looked like a man who had aged 10 years in the span of a few weeks. His eyes had lost some of their light and were surrounded by deep violet shadows.

"Has Ginny talked to you?"

"About what?"

"About last year … about Hogwarts … about you and her," George explained as he stared off into the horizon.

"Nothing specific," Harry said. They stopped at the end of the lane to the Burrow and turned to face each other. "Is there something she should talk to me about?"

"She hasn't told you anything?" George asked quietly.

"She dropped a few hints of stuff, but nothing in depth." Harry felt concern and fear flow from his heart through his veins, "Why? Did something happen to her?"

George stared into Harry's eyes, an appraising look on his face. Harry again felt like he was looking at Ron, the color of George's eyes were similar to his brother and father's.

George nodded and began to walk slowly back toward the house, Harry followed.

"Ginny tends to take a lot on her shoulders, much like you," he continued. "She likes to put on that she's really tough, that nothing bothers her, and it's somewhat true. She does take things in stride and she doesn't get worked up easily, but something happened last year," George explained. "Whether it's specific or just the whole year in general I'm not sure, but she was very quiet when she came home for Easter and when we went into hiding she was very panicky. She said something about you being upset at her for leaving Hogwarts, and at any mention of you she would instantly flare up and say that we were on your side no matter what, like she thought we wouldn't be for some reason."

Harry nodded, remembering Ginny's comment at Hogwarts about having enough 'Dark Art's' experience to last her a while.

"She's having nightmares," George muttered.

"How bad?"

"I'm not sure. They're different than the ones she had after her first year and the whole Chamber of Secrets fiasco. She wakes up screaming and crying, Mum tried to talk to her but Ginny just writes off that she's upset about Fred," George explained, dropping his head again.

"You think she's lying?"

George stopped again, turning to face Harry and stepping closer to him. "I can't be sure, but I think she is. I know my sister; I'm probably closer to Ginny than Ron or any of the others. Fred and I spent a lot of time with her both growing up and at Hogwarts. She … well she's in love with you, and we took the mickey out of her every chance we got over it, but she is. Harry, I'm completely okay with you dating her but-"

"George, I promise I won't hurt her again. I-"

"That's not what I'm worried about," interrupted George, holding up his hand to stave off Harry's explanation. "I know you didn't mean to, and honestly, I'm glad that you didn't let on how close you were with her, as it probably saved her from extra torment last year. But something happened, and she's not going to talk to any of us about it. But she might talk to you. So could you please, try to find out whatever it is and help her?"

"I can try…but if I do find out, I'm not sure-"

"I don't need you to tell me, or anyone else, especially if she doesn't want you to," George explained. "But, I'll just feel better if she opens up to someone about it. It's got to be you; she won't even talk to Hermione about last year."

"Really?"

"I asked her the same thing, Ron too. They couldn't get anywhere."

Harry sighed and glanced over at the set up of the evening's party. Ginny was straightening out the tablecloth with Hermione's help and laughing at something Ron was saying. She appeared not to have a care in the world, but Harry remembered her defensiveness that morning when she explained of her worries that he'd be distracted from her, and the deep purple shadows under her eyes…

"I'll talk to her, I'll help her," he muttered as he continued to watch Ginny slowly retreat back into the house.

"Thanks," George said resuming his steps back up the path. "If you want to score points with her mate, get her some tickets to the Harpies before school starts. She'd go nuts."

Harry smiled, "Thanks for the tip."

*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ginny, what are you glaring at?" asked Hermione as she watched Ginny busy herself setting out plates on the picnic table. Ginny pointed to the figures of George and Harry walking back down the lane. "Is there a reason you look like you're about to hex one or both of them?" she asked glancing back at Ginny as she watched George and Harry walk down the lane.

Ginny sighed. "No, there's not. I just wish I knew what they were talking about," she confessed.

"George is probably trying to apologize to Harry about his outburst this morning," said Hermione. "Other than that, he might be giving him the same 'big brother speech' that Ron gave Harry the other night."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Why does everyone feel the need to threaten Harry about me?"

"Because you're the girl, and that's what big brothers and fathers do," Hermione explained simply.

"Yes, well, they should know by now that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," growled Ginny as she began to lay out silverware.

"They just don't want to see you get hurt; they want to see you happy, and they want you to feel better."

"I feel peachy, I am over the moon, and I was never hurt over any other boy- why should this time be any different?" Ginny explained defensively.

"That was Dean and Michael … This is Harry."

"Why is he so different?" Ginny asked angrily.

"Because you've been in love with him since you were eleven … and don't you glare at me like that. I listened to you, I gave you advice, and I supported you two from the get go," Hermione said, raising her eyes and staring at her friend with a small smile on her face.

Ginny snorted. "I listened to you about Ron," she countered.

"I know that," Hermione said in a soothing tone. "But I also don't have anything hidden from Ron, and I'm not terrified of him leaving me for some reason that I won't talk about."

Ginny glowered in Hermione's direction. "But you've been in love with him since you were fourteen," she countered. Hermione smiled and stared at her friend, unashamed of her proclamation. The two girls stood across the table from each other for a few minutes; Ginny glaring, Hermione smiling slightly, before finally Ginny gave a heavy sigh and resumed setting the tableware out.

"I'm not hiding anything from him," she mumbled quietly.

"So he knows you wake up crying or screaming?"

Ginny's temper flared up again, but before she could say anything Hermione held up her hands. "Before you jinx me, hear me out. One, I share a room with you. It's kind of hard _not_ to notice when you wake up screaming," she explained quietly. "Secondly, I'm not telling you this to upset you. I love you like you were my own sister, Ginny. I don't want to see you so distraught."

Ginny continued to glare at Hermione, but she felt her anger abate as she watched Hermione resume setting out silverware. Ginny's shoulders dropped and she sat down on the picnic bench. "I'm sorry Hermione; I know you're just trying to help. I say things I don't mean when I'm angry."

"Well, it's forgivable since I think it's a trait that runs in your family, so don't worry. But you need to talk to Harry about whatever's bothering you," Hermione explained softly. Ginny nodded. She knew Hermione was right, but that didn't make it any easier.

"What are you two whispering about?" asked Ron as he came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl full of steaming pasta. "I've been watching you for the past ten minutes- what's going on?"

"Nothing, we were just talking," said Hermione.

Ginny watched her brother smiled nervously at Hermione when their hands brushed as she took the bowl from his hands. When Hermione set the bowl on the table and walked away to the kitchen to bring out more plates, Ginny rounded on her brother.

"Have you opened up to Hermione? Are you telling her everything?" she asked. Her frustration over her own stubbornness and insecurity, not to mention Hermione's uncanny observational skills, was boiling over and Ron was unfortunate enough to be in her path.

"What? I've been opening up, I've been nice! Did she say I hadn't been?" Ron asked looking stricken.

"No, she didn't, _I_ did. You'd better tell her you love her, because you do and she needs to hear it. _And_ you had better stop threatening Harry about me or I will tell Hermione all about you moaning her name in your sleep the past couple of years," Ginny threatened before walking into the kitchen, leaving a gaping Ron standing by the picnic tables.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Dinner was a cheerful event and Harry spent most of the evening smiling over the fact that the main celebration was more about all of the Weasley's being together rather than his entrance into the Ministry. Bill and Fleur had come from Shell Cottage, still in love as ever. Charlie hadn't returned to Romania yet and was planning on staying until mid-August for Ginny's seventeenth birthday. Percy had been visiting frequently and working to repair the damaged relationship with his parents.

As they brought out dessert, Mrs. Weasley gushed to Harry about how happy she was over his new job. "This is perfect, Harry! I was quite worried about you not going back to school, but you'll get so much training being in the Auror department," she cheered. "And maybe, if Ron sees you enjoying it he'll-"

"Mum! I've done enough for now I think. I'll find something, don't worry," Ron interrupted before taking a bite of the treacle tart that took over his entire plate.

"Ron," George suddenly piped up. "I really will need some help re-opening the shop, if you'd like to help me get it back in order. I'd be willing to –"

"That's brilliant, George!" Ron exclaimed. "'Course I'll help. See Mum, its fine now. I have a job, and a place to stay and-"

"Well, not a place to stay actually," George interrupted. "I went back to the apartment above the shop, and it's ruined as of right now. Death Eater's must have got in there looking for stuff I guess. We'll have to find a flat in London for a while."

"You don't need a flat," Harry offered. "I've got five bedrooms at Grimmauld Place! You can stay there, it'll get lonely without Order members coming and going now. Plus Kreacher will be happy to have more people in the house; I think he was a little lonely when I kept coming here every evening."

The decision was made and the remainder of the meal was spent discussing moving things from the Burrow to Grimmauld Place. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Ginny were all pleased at this choice as they did not think Harry, nor Ron or George, should live by themselves. The evening progressed with happy talk through supper and ended with a firefly-lit sky as the sun set and the stars came out into the open. George left early in the evening to collect some personal belongings from the shop before moving in to Grimmauld Place the next day, while Bill and Fleur left about eight o'clock and the remainder of the party quieted down around nine. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione sat under the stars in the cool air and talked about the coming year.

By about midnight, Ron and Hermione had fallen asleep in each other's arms. Ginny did her best to cover them up with the blanket they were laying on before settling back into Harry's arms to resume stargazing.

Harry's fingers threaded their way through Ginny's hair all the way from her scalp to the tips. She sighed as the tingly, comforting sensation spread throughout her body and moved to nestle into his neck, pressing her lips to his skin and listening to him sigh deeply as she kissed into the space behind his ear.

"Wasn't there a discussion we were going to continue?" she teased in a whisper.

Harry chuckled lightly as he turned to face her and brushed her hair from her face, tracing the dark circles under her eyes gently with his finger tips. "Can I ask you something, Ginny?"

"You just did, but go ahead and ask another," she joked, pressing her lips against his softly.

"Remember earlier when you asked me what I wanted to be now?" he asked after returning her kiss. "Do you remember what I said?"

"You said you would settle for being my boyfriend, for the time being," she whispered, ducking her head under his chin and continuing to kiss the skin on his neck.

"Do you want that?" Harry whispered, trying to keep his head about him as he felt her warm breath tickle the skin of his throat and behind his ears.

She stopped and raised her eyes to his; the emotions that she'd seen in them earlier that day were suddenly replaced with new ones: fear, longing, and a hint of desperation.

Ginny straightened Harry's glasses on his face and placed her hand against his cheek. "Of course I do, Harry; that's a silly question," she laughed, an incredulous tone to her voice.

"Is it?" he asked, lowering his eyes from hers.

"I keep snogging you, don't I?"

"Why were you upset today? When I told you about the job, you were upset," Harry muttered quietly.

"Harry … I am happy for you, I don't want you to think that I'm not," Ginny explained. "I was just responding to George's comments, I shouldn't have been upset. I'm sorry."

"Are you afraid of what's going to happen?"

She looked puzzled. "Should I be?"

"I don't want you to be; you don't need to be. I want you to trust me, I want you … I want you to love me," Harry whispered, finally raising his eyes.

Ginny stared back into the face she had memorized so perfectly. It was still unbelievable that he was here, holding _her_ when he could be with anyone else. Hermione's words from earlier in the day echoed in her head.

"I do trust you, Harry. It's not a question of trust, it's-"

"A question of letting your guard down?" Harry offered.

Ginny narrowed her eyes. "What did you and George talk about?"

"Stuff … he told me you've been having nightmares?" Harry asked, not turning his gaze away from hers.

She scoffed. "Dammit, George."

"Have you?" Harry pressed, brushing her hair away from her face again.

She sighed deeply. "They've just been about Fred and the final battle. I keep seeing Voldemort, and Fred, and everyone else who died. It's just been hard." Ginny dropped her eyes, her guilt over the lie she just told slowly crept through her, and as though it was clearly apparent on her face, Harry pressed his forehead against hers and tried to position himself in a manner that allowed him to look into her eyes.

"You can tell me," he said softly.

"I am telling you," Ginny whispered back.

"Ginny-"

"Harry," she replied sternly. "It's just about Fred. I know George seems to think more of it, but it really is. I know he still thinks that I'm still-"

"- the shy eleven year old who used to get so upset?" Harry finished. Ginny grimaced, but then smiled slightly. "You don't have to hide anything from me … I don't want you to. I don't think you're weak or anything like that; you're one of the strongest people I know. I'm guessing that growing up with brothers-"

"Six brothers, Harry," she interrupted, holding up six fingers to enunciate her point. "Six. None of whom are the slightest bit afraid to hurt my feelings. It's kind of an instinct to hide things- you have no idea how much teasing I went through for years over you," she added.

"Or the taunting I'm sure you got last year from the Death Eater's once they realized how close we'd been?" Harry guessed. Ginny's eyes widened at his observation. "Am I getting closer to the source of your bad dreams?"

"You were gone, and it's over now. What could you have done about it?" she asked, her voice tightening in frustration.

"Nothing, I suppose," Harry muttered watching the anger flash in her eyes. Deciding he wouldn't push her any further tonight, he kissed her softly. "I could try and erase it from your memory if you'd like."

"That's one option," she consented, smiling slightly against his lips.

His eyes locked with hers again as they kissed, burning with so much intensity she could almost feel heat coming from him. His arms snaked around her waist and he pulled her close, nestling his face into her neck. She could feel him inhaling deeply and she closed her eyes as she ran her fingers through his dark hair.

"I love you, Ginny. You don't have to say it, but I just want you to know that I do," he whispered making her shudder.

She sighed deeply. The words he was speaking to her were beautiful and she knew that he was telling the truth. As he pressed his warm lips to the skin of her neck again and again she felt the truth course through her.

She loved him, without a doubt, but the words wouldn't come as she held him tightly against her. Frustrated with her own stubbornness and inability to admit to herself, and to him, how she felt caused her to silently made a plan to show him she loved him, whether she could say it or not.

Ron's sudden groan pulled them out of what was beginning to become a moment of intense passion. Ginny sighed and wiggled around, rearranging herself more appropriately in Harry's arms.

"Whas goin' on?" Ron's voice muttered thickly.

"I was about to make a pass at your sister, but I guess that's out the window," Harry muttered, making Ginny laugh loudly as Ron sat bolt upright with shock in his eyes.

"I'm just kidding, mate! Just kidding," Harry assured him sitting up and raising his hands.

Ron shook his head, "Can you at least wait another month and a half before you start talking about that?" Ginny laughed again as Harry hopped up and helped her to her feet.

Ron watched as his best friend wound his arms around his sister's waist and hugged her tightly. He figured he would just have to get used to it, he knew Harry was crazy for her so there was no fighting it any longer. His thoughts turned to Hermione, asleep next to him on the cold ground; her eyes closed peacefully, lips slightly parted as she breathed, her curly hair fanned out behind her. Ron couldn't bring himself to wake her. Before getting to his feet he scooped her gently into his arms. She nestled her head against his chest but then fell right back to sleep, her breathing resuming a slow deep pace.

They walked back into the house together, quietly stepping up the stairs. Ron laid Hermione gently into his bed and sat next to her. Harry sat down on his camp bed and looked at the pair of them.

"She loves you, you know that Ron," Harry muttered. Ron nodded and brushed a flyaway strand of hair from Hermione's face.

"Well, that being said, please … just … yeah," said Harry quietly. Ron raised his eyes and looked at Harry. "That's all the big brother speech I have for now I guess," he muttered as he fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt.

Ron nodded at Harry, indicating that he understood where he was coming from and what he meant even though neither said the words.

The door opened and Ginny's slender figure slipped quietly into Ron's room, shutting the door behind her. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Ron hissed as he jumped to his feet. "Out!"

Ginny narrowed her eyes and pointed to Hermione's sleeping figure on the bed before mouthing silently "If you can sleep with her …" Ron narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

"I tell you what," Ginny hissed. "My presence will keep you honest and you keep Harry honest, deal?"

Ron glared for a minute before sighing heavily, consenting to allow Ginny to stay against his wishes. Not wanting to watch the affection between his sister and Harry, he turned to his bed and curled up next to Hermione's sleeping figure, wrapping his arms around her gently before muttering, "Behave yourselves."

"Behave yourself," Ginny's voice hissed back. Ron couldn't help but smile as he listened to Harry's suppressed laughter in the dark.

************

Harry spent the remainder of the weekend helping Ron and George move into Grimmauld Place with him. Kreacher seemed pleased that Harry was going to have flat mates and was extremely polite to George and happy to see Ron again.

"Master Harry's friends should call Kreacher any time they is in need of anything. I is at your service, and at the service of you both Mistress Ginny and Mistress Hermione," the elf said, bowing to Ginny and Hermione in turn.

"I'm not sure how I feel about being referred to as 'Mistress'," Ginny joked later to Harry as they moved Ron's stuff into the bedroom which had previously belonged to Regulus Black.

Hermione was flourishing her wand and removing the old wall paper and Slytherin décor, repainting the walls a cream color that brightened the dark room. Ron smiled as he watched her from the doorway of the closet he was putting his clothes in. She had already managed to repaint the trim of the room to a brilliant white and clean the dusty floors in a matter of minutes.

"Hermione, honestly, I don't know why you're bothering to go back to school. You know everything- look at this! It's brilliant," Ron complimented.

"Thank you, Ron. There is still so much I need to cover though. I just want to make sure I can get a good job. Plus, my parents would be devastated if I didn't finish, so I want to make sure I'm enrolled before we go to Australia to find them," she said quietly. Ron, Harry and Ginny all noticed her voice shake as she mentioned her parents. Though Hermione would never admit it, Ginny got the distinct impression that she was very worried and felt rather dispossessed when she thought of them and the possibility that they either may not be able to find them, or they may not be able to reverse the spell.

"Hermione, you know if you're tired of staying at the Burrow you could-"

"No, she cannot, Ron!" Ginny interrupted her brother. "Sorry Hermione, I know you're free to do whatever, but I'd be very lonely without you there."

"I know, Ginny," Hermione chuckled. "I think I'll stay at the Burrow for now; your parents and Ginny need the company I think," she said turning to Ron. "Plus your Dad said he would see if he can talk to an Oblivator for me on tips for removing memory charms."

Ron nodded, looking slightly depressed. Hermione smiled as she crossed the room and kissed him lightly on the cheek before proceeding to wave her wand and repaint the ceiling a bright white that matched the trim.

The following Monday, Harry reported for his first day at the Auror office. George and Ron waved goodbye to him as they went on to Diagon Alley and he to the Ministry. Not sure of what was expected of him, Harry had worn his only pair of khaki trousers, a button down shirt Ginny had bought him, and flattened his hair as much as he could in hopes of hiding his scar. He had a nervous feeling about what he would meet upon his entrance into the Atrium once people recognized him.

His worries, however, were unnecessary. After checking his wand at the main entrance, Harry was greeted by Gideon Lansing, whom he had met at Hogwarts the previous month.

"Good Morning, Harry!" Lansing boomed as he approached him in the hallway leading out of the Atrium. He was dressed in a casual shirt and jeans, a shiny charm shaped like an "M" hung from his belt. "Come this way and we'll get you set up. Did you have any problems getting in?"

"No, none at all, sir. I want to thank you for arranging this opportunity-" Harry began, but Lansing cut him off.

"Not a problem, Harry, no problem at all. We need you! We need fresh ideas, and I daresay you have enough experience to meet the entry requirements!" he added, clapping Harry on the shoulder.

"Thank you sir," Harry said again.

"Enough with this 'sir' business- call me Gideon, or Lansing, whichever you prefer. I hear 'sir' and I think someone is looking for my father," he added. As Harry walked with his new supervisor and listened to him discuss changes to the department, he noted how he frequently scratched at a patch of stubble that grew around his chin and at the thick, dark hair that was cropped closely to his scalp. Lansing explained that Kingsley was still technically the Head of the Auror office, but had appointed him to assist in the transition of Kingsley to the Minister of Magic position.

They approached the Auror office, which had changed drastically since the last time Harry had been there. Sirius' picture was no longer plastered on the walls; it was replaced with the familiar faces of several Death Eaters still at large. The Carrows, Lucius Malfoy, Thorfinn Rowle, Ivan Travers and several unfamiliar faces stared back at Harry. He wondered what they were doing now that Voldemort was gone. He didn't have much time to think about it, however, as Lansing grasped his shoulder again and proceeded to introductions.

"Harry this is our team, team this is Harry Potter, whom you all know nothing about, of course," Lansing joked. The atmosphere as a whole seemed much more relaxed now that there was no longer an open war going on.

"Harry, you met all of us at Hogwarts briefly after the battle and at the funerals. I don't think you were introduced beyond names, however, so let's start there.

"This is Tim Holcombe, he's our Dark Artifact and Curse Recognition Specialist from America," Lansing explained, waving his hand at the tall, blonde Auror in the first desk behind the office door. Harry had been, and was still, surprised that the others deferred to this Auror's knowledge and experience with the Dark Arts over their own. Holcombe was laid back and looked like he belonged on a surf board rather than in an office; his robes were loose and his shaggy blonde hair hung in his eyes. His demeanor was distinctly carefree and Harry noticed several tattoos running down his neck and along the back of his wrists. The Auror had a broad, good-natured smile as he stood to shake Harry's hand again.

"Good to see you again, Harry," he chuckled. "We're glad to have you aboard; you'll have a lot to share with us I'm sure."

Harry grinned, returning the gesture. Lansing then moved on to the desk behind Holcombe where sat the only female Auror Harry had known of besides Tonks.

"This enchanting young lady is Sabrina Lutz. She's interning from the Office of Magical Law Enforcement, been there for about a year and is now transitioning over. She's our Apprehension Coordinator, helps write our warrants and guidelines for arrest and capture," Lansing said, pausing by her desk. Sabrina was tall and thin, and reminded Harry vaguely of Fleur, though there were distinct differences between the two women. Where as Fleur was lithely and her hair was silvery blonde, Sabrina appeared to be stronger and had dark, jet black hair that was straight as a board and cropped bluntly at her shoulders. Her facial structure was soft and rounded, but her eyes were dark chocolate brown and had an intense glow about them.

"It's good to meet you again, Harry. If you need any help with anything please let us know," she offered with a warm smile.

"Just don't ask her about Potions- she hates the subject!" Lansing teased in a whisper as they moved on to the last Auror who sat on the opposite side of the office.

"Lastly, this is Morgan Proudfoot, only remaining Auror from Kingsley's original team. He's our Prisoner Liaison for Azkaban and helps transport those who've been captured to and from trial and such."

Proudfoot stood to give Harry a big handshake. He was tall and broad, but had a friendly face considering all the action he'd seen within the last few years. "Glad to finally have you aboard Harry, Sabrina is pleased to no longer be the rookie, I'll say," he teased, causing Sabrina to throw a small ball she had on her desk in his direction.

As Harry's day went on he relaxed himself, settling into the atmosphere of the office he would be reporting to for a majority of his day. He finished his admissions paperwork and sat at his new desk for the first time, thinking he'd have to bring in some pictures or other items to liven up the empty space.

Throughout the day Harry listened to discussion of developing plans for rounding up the remaining Death Eaters and Kingsley's plans for reorganizing the Ministry. Sabrina spent a majority of her days discussing overturning the Laws that Thicknese had put into place while under the Imperious Curse. Many of the laws were aimed specifically at Muggleborns, but a few more sinister ones had appeared on the books regarding the families of Muggleborns and the population in London.

"It looks like the Death Eaters were completely trying to overthrow the International Statue of Secrecy. There are plans here for massive Muggle killings, and a provision that rewards any Wizard or Witch that assists in carrying out the acts," Sabrina explained while reviewing several documents Kingsley had brought to her.

It sounded like Lansing, Tim, Kingsley and Harry would be focusing on rounding up the remaining Death Eaters for the time being. The primary targets were the Carrow siblings, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rowle and Travers, who had injured several during their retreat from the battle and had openly declared there were still plans in place for the future of the Death Eaters. In a surprising move, The Malfoy's had returned home and approached the office, saying they would await punishment, as long as Draco was allowed to return to school. There were also several Ministry employees who would be facing charges, though Lansing had said they would approach those individually when the time came and they would need copious amounts of evidence against the person before the arrest could take place. Harry couldn't help smiling to himself as he heard Dolores Umbridge's name come up several times on several different charges.

"We'll be talking to Kingsley before we go after the Ministry employees. He's heading his own investigation into the internal crimes," Lansing advised the team.

Harry spent the afternoon going over different curses and defensive tactics with Tim in a large room on the first floor. As Tim would be his primary mentor, he wanted to get a feel for what Harry already knew and what he had yet to learn. Harry enjoyed the Auror's different approach and outlook on things. His cultural differences were obvious, but they made him likeable. Tim was equally as impressed with Harry's abilities, particularly when they discussed his ability to resist the Imperius Curse, something he said would definitely come in handy.

"I've been told they throw that one out here a lot! Never bothered with it over in the States, but there again we've never been through anything like this," Tim added.

"Not many Dark Wizards running about?" asked Harry.

"Oh, we have our share of Dark Wizards, but nothing to the extent of what you have had. 'Course, it's different because there are practically no Pure-Blood families left in the States, so it's not often we get people wanting to bring down Muggles or Muggleborn's because they'd be going after their own families," he explained.

Time passed quickly and Harry was sent home for the day around four o'clock. Rather than Apparate home, he walked and allowed his thoughts to wander to the remaining followers of Voldemort. Showing that much devotion to a leader who cared little to nothing for them seemed insane to Harry. He compared it to him wanting to serve the Dursley's, which now that he was free and no longer had to return there, was a fate worse than death. His aunt and uncle had not responded to his owl with anything other than a "Returning to Little Whinging," message. He had gotten the remainder of his possessions the day after he returned to Grimmauld Place, so there would be no need to see them again, a thought which pleased Harry greatly.

When he reached home and opened the door, Harry found a somber atmosphere greeting him. Ron and George sat at the dining room table, both picking at a meal of soup, potatoes and ham that Kreacher had made. Harry was greeted briefly by Kreacher, who hung his coat and insisted he remove his shoes, before sitting down at the table.

"All right?" he asked, looking at the two brothers.

"Yeah," George responded in a sober voice. "By the way, this is amazing," he said, indicating his plate of food. "That little elf has come around, never thought I'd see that happen," he added with a small smile.

"Ron?" Harry questioned.

"We're all right Harry, it was just hard being at the shop," he responded, not looking up from his plate. "We finished moving all of Fred's things back to the Burrow and moved some stuff that is still in testing up to the flat above it. We should be ready to open back up in a few days," he explained as he slowly resumed poking at the food on his plate.

Harry nodded, he understood that there was nothing he could to do to help with their grief because he felt the same way when he thought of Fred. The three of them finished supper quietly and all turned in early, not knowing what to say to comfort each other in the absence of Fred. Harry felt guilt creep through him again as he lay in bed, thinking of all the sacrifices made to keep him alive during the war. He was plagued by dreams of his deceased loved ones and friends walking by him, pausing to smile or wave, while he stood helpless and watched them move on.

Ron and George's demeanor perked up considerably when the shop opened up a few days later. People clamored in to get a look at the new products and purchase old favorites; the crowds exuberant with joy over having the shop back. Ron seemed to be enjoying himself just as much as all the customers with the jokes and tricks that were offered.

"I watched this one bloke play with those punching telescopes. Harry, you remember, like the one that got Hermione that time?" he said, laughing. "It popped out and knocked him flat on his arse! He looked like he'd been stunned when it punched him. It took everything I had to move over there to help him out with it and not just stand there laughing," he confessed as Harry and George laughed.

Harry's days were spent with Tim learning new and non-verbal incantations, stronger counter curses, defensive tactics and methods of recognizing cursed or dangerous items. It was fascinating to him, and he was able to pick it up quickly, much to his surprise. The remainder of his time at work was spent with Lansing and Sabrina going over warrants for Death Eaters, suspected crimes they were committing, and formatting plans to seek out and capture them. Proudfoot was kept busy hiring and training wizards for patrol of Azkaban, which no longer employed Dementors as guards.

"Kingsley will be wanting to round the Dementors up at some point," Proudfoot had said. "Not sure how we'll do that, there are so many of them now. We'll need quite a few wizards to help, either that or a few wizards with really large Patronuses."

Each evening was relaxed, with games of chess or Exploding Snap played by the three occupants of Grimmauld Place before they retreated to bed late in the night. Dinners were punctuated by frequent visits from Hermione and Ginny, as well as visits to the Burrow. Harry, Ron and George traveled back and forth so much that Kreacher took to coming with them for something to do, much to Mrs. Weasley's delight.

"He's so helpful now! I just can't believe it, and so polite! How did this happen?" she continually asked them. Hermione told her briefly what caused his conversion, but spared her graphic details of the elf's involvement with Voldemort and the story of Regulus Black.

Much to Ginny's delight, Hermione continued to stay at the Burrow. The topic of Australia came up frequently, but after a few weeks it became apparent that Hermione was reluctant to leave Ginny behind while they went off on another adventure. It was decided they would postpone their trip until after she turned seventeen.

"It's just not fair," Hermione had said to Harry one evening. "Her and I talk all the time, and she's been so sweet to me and spent all this time helping me look over memory charms. Plus, I don't think she's that keen on having you take off again."

"No, I don't expect she is," Harry added as they watched Ron and Ginny argue over the chess game they were playing. "Have you had any luck getting her to talk about last year?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, I haven't. I gather you haven't either?"

Harry shook his head. "Is she still having nightmares?"

"Not every night, or maybe I just don't hear her now that I'm sleeping in Ron's old room," Hermione suggested.

"Am I doing something wrong?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione for help. He had begun to worry about his proficiency in relationships since Ginny wouldn't confide in him. After all, his experience was limited between her and Cho, and he couldn't talk to Ron about it without him groaning or warning Harry to respect his sister's virtue.

"No, Harry," said Hermione, patting him on the back. "She's just … trying to be tough, I think. She thinks for some reason that after what we went through last year we don't think she's brave or experienced enough or something."

"MOVE!" Ginny suddenly yelled, making both Hermione and Harry jump. She was using Harry's chess pieces and they were reluctant to trust her judgment, specifically an insolent knight at whom she was now screaming. "Move, you sod! I don't care that you're going to be sacrificed, just go!" Harry grinned at her as she turned in his direction and waved him over to assist.

On the first Monday in July, Harry arrived early to the office. He was hoping to leave early so he could take Ginny to a movie. He and Hermione had discussed, with great amounts of laughter, slowly introducing the Weasley's to Muggle forms of entertainment, such as movies and television, now that there was more freedom for them all. Harry, however, was not the first one to arrive that day.

"'Morning Sabrina, you're here early," he said as he sat down at his desk, which was now covered in pictures and various other items: the Snitch Dumbledore had given him, a large photo of Ron and Hermione from their earlier school days, his favorite picture of his parents dancing by a fountain, and two of Ginny and him together at the Burrow. He enjoyed watching the photographic images of Ginny and himself smile brightly and hold each other. Every so often, he though he saw a kiss being exchanged between their photographic selves.

"You too," she said, observing him quizzically. "I'm finishing up a few warrants for Kingsley. Any reason you're here so early?"

"I was actually hoping to leave early. I want to take my girlfriend to a movie," he explained, watching Sabrina's eyes widen with curiosity.

"That would be interesting," she observed. "I've never seen one! Movies are the talking picture stories, right?"

"Er, yeah that's as good a description as any," Harry said.

Sabrina stared at him for a moment, her dark eyes studying him curiously. He had gotten to be friends with both her and Tim over the last few weeks, but it was interesting how they each treated him. Where Tim was overly fascinated by Harry's stories and abilities, Sabrina would observe him quizzically, almost like she was sizing him up for an audition of sorts.

"Harry, did you know Dolores Umbridge?" she asked after a few moments of silence.

Harry frowned. "Unfortunately."

Sabrina nodded. "We've got a warrant for her arrest here, it hasn't been finalized yet and I'm trying to make sure I have all the charges correct. Would you want to take a look at it?" she asked holding, up a piece of paper.

"Um … all right. I'm not sure I'll be able to add much to it," he confessed.

"I'm sure you'll have more insight than you might think," she smiled as she handed the paper to Harry for review.

_**Ministry of Magic**_

_**The Auror Office**__ in partnership with __**The Office of Magical Law Enforcement **__has hereby has issued a warrant for the arrest of _

_**Dolores Jane Umbridge**__._

_The accused has been charged with the following:_

_Denial of Habeas Corpus_

_Discrimination_

_Falsifying Legal Blood Status Documents_

_Use of an Unforgivable Curse_

_Possession of Dark or Cursed Artifacts_

_Inappropriate Contact With and Control of Dementors_

_Torture_

_Murder_

_Willing Participation in Death Eater Activities_

_Hate Crimes against Muggleborn Wizards and Witches_

Harry felt his hands shake violently as he read the warrant. Several of the charges against the witch he despised so much were unfamiliar, and they disturbed him greatly: _Murder, Willing Participation in Death Eater Activities_…

"Kingsley mentioned that you and your flat mates may be called upon to testify," Sabrina said quietly as she watched him from her desk.

"Testify?" Harry muttered. "What about? We were only at school with her, we didn't see much of her after that."

Sabrina tipped her head to the side and starred at Harry curiously. She stood suddenly, slowly walking over to Harry's desk. Without warning, she reached out and took a hold of his right hand, examining the scars that shone white on the back of his hand closely.

Instinctively, Harry pulled his hand from her grasp and hid it under his desk. Before he could explain the source of the scars, Sabrina laid her right hand down on his desk for him to observe.

Etched into the pale white skin of her hand were the words "Complete Your Task." Harry's scars were pale white, Sabrina's were dark red and more raised, it looked as though they were carved deeper, and longer, into her flesh than Harry's were. He swallowed and lifted his eyes to hers.

"Umbridge was my mentor when I first joined the Ministry. She was a bit bitter from her time at Hogwarts and Fudge's resignation. Apparently, she thought I had a problem finishing my assignments," Sabrina explained thoughtfully.

"I had a problem telling lies, apparently," said Harry, moving his scarred hand back onto the desk and laying it next to hers to examine the etchings.

Sabrina smiled slightly at him and meandered back over to her desk. "Umbridge has been quiet since Kingsley became Minister, but the few times I have seen her she has dropped innuendos to him, Lansing and myself that we're going to have problems undoing the laws or finding people willing to talk," she commented darkly.

Harry nodded. He watched Sabrina resume her work and felt a sick, sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There was still evil out there, still waiting to rise up. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks as he glanced at a picture of him and Ginny sitting hand in hand on a blanket in the middle of the garden at the Burrow.


	10. Temptation

A/N: this was originally one Chapter...which ended up being over 9,000 words so I split it...they are meant to be together so I'm posting them both at the same time. Enjoy!

* * *

Temptation

* * *

Gravity – John Mayer

* * *

The end of July approached quickly and Harry's birthday was soon knocking at his doorstep. As he thought about the approaching event, he realized that he was only excited for it for one reason: Eleven days after it, Ginny would turn seventeen. Her coming of age meant they could travel to Australia to fetch Hermione's parents, she would be free to use magic outside of school, and she would be less restricted in the time she spent with him once they returned to England. Though this would change when school began again, Harry was planning on enjoying the two weeks he would be spending with her as much as he could.

A birthday party was planned for July thirty-first at the Burrow against Harry's protests that it was completely unnecessary. Despite his requests, all the Weasley's, Hermione, Tim and Sabrina arrived mid-afternoon for the celebration. The picnic table was cluttered with several presents that made Harry sigh heavily every time he looked at them.

"This wasn't necessary. I have everything I could-"

"Harry, shut up and open some of your presents," Hermione insisted, eyeing the packages with excitement.

"You didn't have to go to all this trouble," he blushed as he approached the table. "I turned of age last year."

"Yes, but there was so much going on that you didn't have a proper celebration. Just enjoy yourself, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as she hugged him tightly with one arm.

"C'mon Harry! Here," Ron laughed as he tossed a long, thin, plainly wrapped package at him. "This is from Hermione, Ginny, George, and I. Open it! Come on!" he encouraged.

Harry tore off the paper to revel a plain brown box. When the box was opened, his eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he gaped at the item inside. He was temporarily speechless over the present, prompting Tim to look over his shoulder and exclaim loudly in excitement.

"A Firebolt? No Way!" he shouted, almost knocking Harry aside to look at the broomstick. "Damn, Potter! I need friends like yours!" he laughed.

Ginny and Hermione beamed while Ron and George laughed loudly at Tim's comment. Harry lifted the broomstick from its packaging gently and stared in awe at his four friends.

"You…didn't…wow…thanks, I…I-"

"Oh, blah, blah, blah, Harry, we know!" Ginny laughed. "You couldn't just go back to a plain old Nimbus! You deserve it. Happy Birthday!" she gushed, flashing her brilliant smile at him.

"You'll be getting nothing for Christmas, mind you," George added.

Harry set the broomstick back in its box and crossed the table to hug each of them in turn. As he hugged Ginny close to him he whispered, "You can borrow it for Quidditch," before kissing her forehead.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley also managed to render Harry temporarily speechless when they presented him with a brilliant, caramel colored Eagle Owl. He sputtered his thanks as he thought of Hedwig and hugged Mrs. Weasley tightly.

"We thought about another snowy, but this one was so pretty we couldn't resist," she said quietly, returning his hug. "He's incredibly smart! Arthur dropped some paperwork when we walked into the shop and this one swooped down and picked it all up before flying over to the desk to hand it back to him."

Hagrid had managed to find Harry a mokeskin knapsack after he heard how much Harry used the neck pouch, which he had mailed to him along with several of his famous rock cakes. Bill and Fleur had gone in with Percy and Charlie to get Harry a set new set of robes for formal days at the Ministry. Harry kept sputtering his thanks to everyone, but they all brushed him off, saying he deserved so much more. He turned so red at times that Ginny threatened to nickname him "Rosie" if he kept it up.

The evening progressed through a delicious dinner of all of Harry's favorite things and ended with a cake shaped like a Snitch, same as the prior year. Bill and Fleur left early, along with Percy who had recently gotten his job back within the Ministry and was anxious to return to work. Sabrina and Tim left after thanking the Weaselys graciously for their hospitality and promising to keep an eye on Harry during his assignments. Charlie left shortly after to visit Hagrid at Hogwarts, as he had been helping him improve relations with the Hogwarts Centaur herd and train several new Thestrals that had been born that summer. George left around nine o'clock, and endured much teasing when he admitted he was going to meet Angelina Johnson at the Leaky Cauldron. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley retired just after he left. Ron and Hermione stayed until dark before they left for Grimmauld Place to research the information on Memory Charms Mr. Weasley had gotten for her. Harry and Ginny lay next to each other on a blanket in one of her favorite fields, staring at the stars above them.

"Eleven days," Harry muttered, examining their intertwined fingers.

"You are ridiculously excited about that," laughed Ginny as she shook her head.

"Aren't you?"

"I suppose," she replied thoughtfully. "I'm not sure exactly how much more freedom it will give me. I'm pretty free right now."

"At home," Harry observed. "But you'll be able to stay out later in London with us if you want. I still want to take you to a movie," he reminded her. Harry had canceled their plans and spent the evening holding her in his arms after he had read Umbridge's warrant, realizing that it would take longer than he thought for everything to return to the way it should have always been.

"Yes, we'll need to do that- you've got me all curious about it now," she admitted as Harry chuckled lightly. "Being able to legally use magic whenever I want will be nice," she finished.

"Are your parents still all right with you going to Australia?" asked Harry.

"Yes, they are. My dad said 'it's a good opportunity for you to see the world,' last night when talked about it. Don't worry, they're going to let me go," she assured him.

"Good. I'd miss you if I didn't see you for two weeks," Harry murmured, kissing the back of her hand lightly.

Ginny smiled and rolled on her side to face him. "What will you do when school starts?"

"We'll figure it out in a month; let's not think about it right now," he said, pressing his lips to hers.

This kiss, like so many they shared, started slow and sweet. Ginny slid her small frame on top of Harry's as he cupped his hands around her face. The feel of her skin still fascinated him; smooth and soft, like satin. Her long auburn hair hung like a curtain around their faces, tickling Harry's neck as his lips trailed kisses across Ginny's jaw and down to her neck.

"I did get you another present," Ginny whispered.

She felt Harry's kisses pause as he sat up slowly, one arm still wrapped around her waist and pulling her to him. "Ginny," he scolded. "You shouldn't have. Everyone has already given me more than I deserve. I didn't need anything else," he said as he brushed her hair out of her face and looked intensely into her brown eyes.

"I didn't spend anything on this one, I swear!" said Ginny holding up her hands and grinning. "It's something personal."

Harry paused, "You've got me curious now. What is it?" he asked, looking at her quizzically.

Ginny moved so she was straddled across Harry's lap and felt her cheeks begin to flush with blood as she smiled. She silently prayed that it was dark enough so he wouldn't see the color flooding her face. It didn't appear her prayers were answered as she watched Harry's grin grow wider.

"You're going to call me 'Rosie'" he said, teasing her. "I haven't seen you blush like this for a while. Just tell me."

Harry slid his hands down her shoulders and wrapped them around her waist, kneading the muscles in her lower back lightly with his fingers. The sensation was soothing, but she continued to blush brighter as the seconds passed and he watched her curiously.

"Just give me a second," she whispered, pressing a finger to his lips. He began to nibble on the end of her fingertips as she tried to slow her breathing. _Get a grip_, she told herself. She had wanted this for so long, and she'd made herself a promise that she would show him she loved him even if she couldn't say it. Why the sudden anxiety attack?

"Take however long you need," he whispered, continuing to kiss the hand she had tried to silence him with.

Her eyes flickered to the Burrow. All lights were off; the stars above gave the field she had loved for so long a soft, seductive glow. She wasn't sure how many other opportunities they would have before September. Mustering up all the courage she could find, she finally spoke.

"Do you love me, Harry?" she asked in a shaky whisper.

Harry's emerald eyes found hers in the darkness; they glowed with love, she could see that clearly. He cupped her face softly in his hands and kissed her lightly on the tip of her nose.

"I love you, Ginny," he whispered softly, pressing his forehead against hers. His fingers ran through her long hair and down her back, coming to rest on her hips.

Ginny pressed her lips to his, parting them with her tongue as she pulled him closer to her and tangled her long fingers in his black hair.

"Do you want me?" she whispered.

She felt him freeze against her. "What?" Harry asked. His voice seemed to have dropped an octave and was now shaking.

She pressed her body closer to his, rocking her hips against his gently. His sharp intake of breath and hands sliding down across her backside and over the outside of her thighs told her she was doing something right.

"Do you want me?" she asked again, her quiet voice husky, but more confident. She wished her body would stop quivering. She could feel his breath coming quicker against her lips and his chest moving rapidly as she pressed herself closer to him, her hips grinding against his. She kissed him softly before pulling back and looking into his eyes.

Harry gasped at the sensation that rushed through his body. The feel of her lips, her warm body, and her hips grinding against his sent waves of pleasure throughout his core. He opened his eyes slightly to see her looking back at him, a mixture of desire, fear, and lust in her bright brown eyes. She was biting her lower lip in a nervous manner; the innocent yet hungry expression on her face was incredibly seductive.

Not able to find his voice for what seemed like the millionth time tonight, Harry nodded.

"Then I'm yours," she sighed before pressing her lips to his gently. She opened her mouth, allowing him to deepen the kiss. He felt her fingers twist into his hair and heard her softly groan as he grabbed her hips and pulled her against him.

Harry let his hands slowly explore their way over the figure he had longed to hold and touch; her long legs leading into the curve of her hips, the curve of her waist gently rounding over her ribcage to her chest and shoulders. She didn't stop him when he slid his hands down the sides of her neck and over the buttons of her shirt, pausing slightly to run the pads of his thumbs over her breasts. Her head fell back, allowing him to press his lips to her collarbone and neck as his fingers tried inexpertly to unbutton the blue blouse she wore.

When the buttons where undone, Harry was allowed a brief glimpse of the lacy white bra she wore before Ginny grabbed his shirt and threw herself back, pulling him on top of her. She sighed quietly as his mouth found hers again before kissing down her neck and over her chest. His hands slid along the soft, silky skin of her waist and back; his fingers reaching up to play with the bra straps that lay over her shoulders as he kissed his way down her stomach. He paused and breathed deeply, inhaling in her intoxicating fragrance. His hands pressed lightly against her breasts as she arched her back; he could feel his fingers shaking as he traced the curves he had long fantasized about. He brushed his lips along her stomach, kissing along the line where her jeans were covering her beautiful hips.

Harry could hear the pace of Ginny's breathing increase as he pressed his lips to her skin again, enjoying the gentle shivers of her body against his skin. Her long fingers were tangled in his hair, and he could feel her hands shaking. In fact, the more he thought about it, her whole body was shaking. Not a quiver of passion that he was used to feeling when he kissed her, a tremble of nervousness and fear seemed to move along her skin. He kneeled over her and moved so he could look at her face, wanting to read permission and not fear in her eyes before he proceeded any further.

As soon as their eyes met there was the faintest _"pop!"_ that echoed from the end of the lane leading to the Burrow. Instinctively, Harry grabbed the Invisibility Cloak he still kept with him at all times from his new knapsack and threw it over the two of them. He held her close as they watched the stocky frame of George Weasley stroll down the lane and into the Burrow, whistling a lively tune as he opened the door to go inside. Lights flickered to life in the kitchen and they began to breathe again.

"It's just George," Ginny whispered before turning back to Harry and pulling his lips back to hers. He felt the hunger in her kisses, but he had already made up his mind.

"Ginny," he whispered softly against her lips. "I can't."

"What?" she asked confused.

Harry ran his fingers through her long silky hair and laid her back gently, letting his weight come to rest slightly on top of her. "I can't, Ginny. I want to ... so bad. But I can't."

She looked into his eyes, still confused. "Did I do something?"

"No, you are perfect. You are beautiful, and sweet, and loving, and … incredibly sexy," he whispered, blushing as he traced his fingers along her waist again. "But you're also scared, and so am I," he confessed.

"I'm not … scared," she sputtered.

He laid his head against her chest, tracing the outline of her bra with his fingers before reaching out for one of her hands and held it up, watching her fingers shake violently.

"That's just nerves," she dismissed. "Everyone is nervous the first time."

"Not you."

"Why not me?"

"Because you're never nervous about anything, and I don't want you to be nervous about this," he explained as he lifted his head to look at her brown eyes. A million emotions were passing through them- fear, sadness, anger, relief … rejection.

"Ginny," he whispered, kissing her softly and brushing an escaped tear off her cheek. "If you could hear the voices inside my head right now, you would know that this is not coming easily," he tried to explain.

"Harry, I'm fine… I want you, I want this. I …" she stammered, trying to find the words to explain the desperation she felt to have him close to her.

"I want you too … so badly …" he groaned as his eyes traced over her the bare skin of her waist; the curves of her hips inviting his eyes as he fought his against his boyish instincts. "But this isn't the time, I just have a feeling," he tried to explain again. "Please don't be angry."

"I'm not angry," she whispered.

"Please don't be hurt," he begged, laying his head against her chest again.

"Harry, I'm really okay. I just…I," she stuttered. He looked up into her eyes. Even in the thick of night, she was taken aback at how they still glowed like emeralds. "I just … I wanted to ... I wanted you to have that part of me, before I left for school. I want _you_ to have that piece of me. I want you to have it, even if something happens," she whispered.

"What could happen?" Harry asked as he moved to lie beside her.

Ginny said nothing; she dropped her eyes and rolled onto her side as well.

"I'm not going to leave you," he whispered, pulling her into his arms. She snuggled her face into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I promise, Ginny. I love you, I'm not going anywhere. I don't care if you're here or one thousand miles away. You are all I want," he said, kissing her forehead.

Harry felt her nod against him. He sat up and kneeled next to her, pulling her to a sitting position in front of him. The blue blouse she was wearing hung open and he quickly memorized the color of her skin before sighing heavily and slowly buttoning up the shirt he had been so anxious to get off. He stood, pulling the cloak off and putting it into his bag. He then reached down and scooped her into his arms.

"Come on, let's get you to sleep, it's late," he sighed. "Your father will have my head if he wakes up and you're not in your room," he added, making her laugh lightly.

He carried her across the yard and into the house, drawing a curious look from George as they walked through the kitchen. Harry carried her upstairs to her room and laid her on her bed, covering her up and lying next to her before wrapping his arms around her tightly.

"Will you stay until I fall asleep?" she asked him. He nodded and began to stroke her hair gently.

Ginny felt slightly disappointed, but there was also relief flowing through her veins. She would never admit it to Harry, but she had been nervous; about her inexperience, her appearance, her figure, everything. As she snuggled against him, his words echoed in her mind, and his hands were soothing as the stroked her hair and held her close.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered, finally admitting to him, and to herself, that he had an unbreakable hold on her.

She felt Harry press his lips to the back of her neck and stroke her hair, holding her tightly against him. "I love you too," he whispered.


	11. Revelations

Revelations

* * *

"What If" Coldplay

* * *

The days following Harry's birthday passed quickly. He worked the first week in August, but had taken the rest of the month off and would not be back until after the Hogwarts Express had returned Ginny and Hermione to school. It was on a Monday afternoon that he found himself walking through Muggle London, staring into the windows of shops trying to find another gift for Ginny.

She and Hermione had gotten their Hogwarts letters a few days previously. Hermione had been made Head Girl and Ginny Quidditch Captain to her surprise and pleasure. He had gotten her new pads, a new cauldron, and tickets to a Holyhead Harpies game that was to be played on her birthday. He was now looking for something else, something personal that would remind her of him when they were apart.

Ron had a similar struggle with what to get Hermione in congratulations for her achievement. She would have her own dormitory, separate from the rest of the girl's rooms, so he had gotten her some picture frames to put up. He planned on taking her to buy a new wand; she had been using Bellatrix Lestrange's wand reluctantly since their escape from Malfoy Manor. Her birthday was coming up in September and he wanted to get her something nice since that day had been largely overlooked during their school years.

"I'd like to get her a ring, but I know that's just mad to think about at this point," Ron admitted to Harry one evening. "I don't even know if I've ever seen her wear anything like that."

"I haven't, course I haven't looked too closely, either," said Harry.

The idea of jewelry stuck in Harry's mind though, and that was what brought him out shopping. He had found nothing that caught his eye though. Ginny was simplistic, not overly fancy, and he didn't want to get her something she wouldn't wear.

He passed by the Leaky Cauldron on his walk and decided to go through to Diagon Alley. After greeting everyone in the pub briefly, he passed through the magical barrier and began to wander through the shops, still searching for a present. He sighed as he heard his name whispered and saw others pointing in his direction as he passed. He wondered vaguely if this would ever stop.

Harry became frustrated with himself as he went through shop after shop looking for items. He decided against dress robes as he knew her parents had gotten her some. She had her pygmy puff and since Harry and Ron would have his new owl (which he had named Deacon), Ron offered to let her take Pigwidgeon to school, so he passed by the Magical Menagerie. Next to what used to be Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, a new shop had opened up: _Torgun's Talismans. _Curious, Harry opened the wooden door to the shop and stepped inside.

As he peered around, Harry realized it was a Goblin-owned shop, as several of the small creatures were running the counter and walking along the floors. The shop was filled with various items, all of which Harry assumed were Goblin made. Daggers and swords hung displayed on the wall, and different types of amulets and necklaces were in cases that lined the shop. Harry had just begun to browse through things when a case full of bracelets caught his eye. He wandered over and read a small sign that was attached to the case.

"_Affinity Charms: Forged from Italian volcanic crystals and silver, these beautiful bracelets are imbibed with an Attachment Charm. The wearer need only rotate the charm once around their wrist to remind the giver of a bond they share. Should the charm be rotated twice, a summons will be felt by the giver to come to the aid of the wearer. _

_Customization Available. Price upon request._"

Harry looked over the examples that lay out in the display case. They were beautiful and seemed to glow with a bright light, reminding him of a Patronus. Smiling to himself, he approached the counter to discuss pricing of the item.

******

"Mum! Dad! This is wonderful!" Ginny squealed as she opened a box containing a set of brand new school robes. "Thank you!" She held them against up against her, thinking to herself that there would be little tailoring required to make them fit.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," said Mrs. Weasely, beaming at her daughter as she examined her new clothes.

Ginny had been smiling all day as she slowly opened her presents. She wanted to look over every single one thoroughly and express her gratitude. She gazed at her family around her and all the gifts they had bought, feeling a little sheepish that all this money was being spent on her. She had spent at least an hour laughing over a box of tricks that George and Ron had gotten her from the shop and had hugged Percy for the first time in years when he presented her with a set of golden scales and a full supply of potions ingredients.

Her parents had also gotten her a dainty gold watch, similar to the one Ron had been given for his seventeenth birthday. It fit her perfectly and she watched as tears welled up in her mother's eyes over her last child finally reaching this milestone.

"Mum, please don't cry," she begged, not wanting to be overcome with emotion as well.

"Ginny, you're just so grown up now. All of you are. It's amazing to me, I'm just not sure what to do with myself," she sighed, gazing around at her children.

"Somebody better get to having babies soon," George hissed under his breath. "Before Mum goes completely mental over the empty house." He chanced a glance at Bill and Fleur, who both glared at him in response.

Ginny watched Harry's reaction as she opened a beautiful, and rather provocative, halter dress that was given to her by Fleur and Hermione. It was a deep, midnight blue that sparkled slightly when placed in the right light. When worn it would rest just above her knees and the back was cut in a low V-shaped pattern that allowed almost a full view of her back. She had to stifle a laugh as she watched Harry's eyes widen when she modeled it and listened to her brothers and father grumble.

"When is she going to wear that?" Ron hissed at Hermione and Fleur, who were gushing over how pretty Ginny looked.

"Oh, there will be a ball or something she can wear it to," Hermione said simply.

"She can't wear that at a ball! It's … it's…"

"She'll have a cloak on Ron, and Harry will be there so she won't be ogled too much," said Hermione with a wink at Harry. He lowered his eyes as Ron's gaze fell on him.

"What would you wear if there was a ball?" asked Ron, turning back to look at Hermione.

Before she could answer, Fleur laughed and said "Oh, she 'as got somezing jus as gorgeous, Ron. Don' worry," she teased, causing Hermione to blush crimson.

Harry had wrapped Ginny's new Quidditch pads in a simple box, attaching the envelope containing tickets to the evening's game to the wrist guards. Ginny opened the envelope curiously, glancing at Harry before reading the tickets and screaming aloud.

"How did you get these? The game is sold out! Oh my goodness, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed as she jumped to her feet.

"What is it?" Ron asked, looking from his sister over to Harry's exuberant grin.

"Tickets to the Harpies game tonight! Oh, Harry! Thank you!" Ginny squealed, leaping into Harry's arms.

"That's cool!" Ron exclaimed, but then looked slightly downcast. "You guys will have a good time."

"Ron, you git, there are four tickets; we're all going," Ginny explained as Harry set her back on her feet. Ron jumped up as well and clapped Harry on the back while Hermione grinned at him.

Lunch was served early so the quartet could make it back for the game. Ginny kissed and hugged the Weasleys goodbye before gripping Harry's arm as they Apparated back to London. This was Ginny's first experience with Side-Along Apparation, and she voiced her dislike of the method of travel upon landing.

"That was…um," she muttered as she swayed on her feet.

"Bloody awful?" Harry supplied as she nodded, looking rather pale. "You do get used to it, but the first sensation is a bit…odd," he explained recalling Dumbledore's explanation of the process when he had first Apparated.

The Harpies won the match two-hundred and fifty to eighty against Puddlemere United. The game was won when Skylar Garret of the Harpies made a fantastic catch of the Snitch right above the crowd. After stopping briefly to say hello to Oliver Wood as he made his way out of the stadium, the two couples began to walk back to Grimmauld Place.

"That was brilliant, Harry, thanks!" Ron had said as they walked. His and Hermione's fingers were laced together and their arms swung with their steps.

"It was fun, thank you for thinking of us as well, Harry," Hermione said.

Ginny just smiled broadly. They spent the entire walk going over the plays again and discussing tactics. Harry grinned as Ginny talked about plans for the Gryffindor Quidditch team and felt a pang of remorse that he would no longer be playing.

"We can play at the Burrow, no worries. You can come practice with us," she offered, making him chuckle lightly.

"I'll have to do that- make sure you're treating my Firebolt properly."

As soon as they arrived back at Grimmauld Place, it wasn't long before Ron and Hermione retreated to his room. Ginny whistled suggestively at the pair of them, which drew laughter as they ascended the stairs. She hadn't been to Grimmauld Place in a few weeks and was pleasantly surprised by the changes Harry, Ron and George had made. The peeling wallpaper had been removed in the sitting room and kitchen and the walls were now pale beige that made the room appear ten times brighter. The colors in the kitchen were unchanged; the sparkling pots and pans that hung from the ceiling, and the perfectly clean tiled floor was a compliment to the shining counter tops. Most of the furniture had been replaced with several squashy armchairs and a sofa in the sitting room; Ginny was reminded of the Gryffindor Common Room as she glanced around. The place felt homey and comfortable as she sat down on the couch and sighed deeply.

"Is everything to your liking?" Harry asked, sitting down next to her and grinning.

"Yes it is. It's much more appealing now. Did Kreacher help you?" she asked.

"Kreacher did most of it; he insisted I pick out the colors though. That was a nightmare," said Harry, shaking his head.

"You did well, Harry. It's very nice in here," she commented as she snuggled against him. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead. They sat like that for a few moments before Harry flicked his wand at an old radio against the wall.

Soft piano music filled the room and Ginny smiled. "Is that new?"

"No, it was here when we came, I think it was Sirius'. We just got it working the other night," he commented, watching her reaction.

The song changed to a slower, peaceful melody that Ginny recognized from Bill and Fleur's wedding. "This is a Gymnopedie, number 1?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Your guess is as good as mine," he said smiling.

She grinned. "Fleur told me. She plays a lot of classical music. They played this at their wedding," she explained.

She closed her eyes listening to the soothing sound; the music seemed to fill every corner of the room, making it even warmer than it already was.

"Dance with me," Harry requested, standing up and offering her his hand.

"Here?" Ginny asked, glancing around.

"Why not? I didn't get to dance with you at their wedding, and I wanted to very badly," he explained. She stood up and took his hand, slightly nervous as she remembered the last time she had seen Harry dance: he had sat down after the first song was over.

"You didn't dance at the Yule Ball, or at Bill and Fleur's wedding," she commented, placing one hand on his shoulder and her other hand in his outstretched one.

"Ron made me promise I wouldn't dance with you at the wedding. And at the Yule Ball, my partner wasn't as beautiful as you are," he explained simply. He pulled her close to him and began to revolve slowly on the spot.

"Ooh," she teased. "Smooth compliment."

Harry grinned broadly. "I try."

She wrapped one arm around his neck as he pressed her palm over his heart, laying his hand on top of hers gently. Ginny rested her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes; the slow, gentle rocking motion of their bodies acted like a cradle and she began to feel sleepy.

"I have another present for you," Harry whispered into her hair.

She raised her eyes to his and frowned slightly. "You didn't need to get me anything, Harry."

"It's something personal," he teased, quoting the words she used on his birthday before she had offered herself to him. The phrase caused her to raise her eyebrows and look at him curiously.

He smiled, chuckling slightly before pulling a thin rectangular box out of his. "I've never seen you wear jewelry, but this caught my eye and it's something I think you'll like," he explained before handing her the box.

She took it in her hands, curiously examining the box. Her slender fingers undid the clasps and she opened it, her eyes widening in wonder.

Resting against the black satin inside the box was a delicate, but remarkably beautiful bracelet. Two thin silver chains had been braided around a number of dazzling crystals that sparkled brightly even in the dim light of the room. But what caught her eye the most was the charms that were interwoven into the links of the band: a silver stag was placed between every third crystal throughout the length of the bracelet. The silver was so bright it almost seemed to glow slightly, just like a Patronus…just like his Patronus. Her eyes started to prick slightly as she examined the stunning piece.

"Harry," she whispered, not able to come up with any other words.

"It's an Affinity Charm," he explained in a low voice, handing her a small piece of paper that contained the description of the item. She read through it quickly, citing that if she turned it once around her wrist it would remind Harry of her, if turned twice it would issue a summons for him to come to her.

"How does that work? How will you feel it?" she asked.

He held up his right hand to show her a matching ring placed around the third finger of his right hand. The ring was a simple silver band with little horses carved intricately into the metal. A horse; her Patronus.

"Harry…"

"If you don't like it, I can take it back or exchange it," he said rapidly, misreading her silence. "I just thought … I know how you worry that I'll forget you or something like that. Well, now you won't let me, right?"

"I love it, it's beautiful. Thank you," she finally said, looking into his eyes. His answering smile was astonishing; his whole face seemed to light up at her pleasure over his gift. She held out her wrist and he fastened the little silver clasp before threading his fingers into hers.

She smiled and twisted her wrist slightly, noticing the silver flashes of light that lit up the walls. As her eyes lifted and met Harry's and she was taken aback by his expression. His lips were curved into a small smile, but his eyes were hungry, burning with intensity. He brought his hands to cup her face and gently pressed his lips to hers.

She returned the kiss and sighed deeply as his tongue traced her lips; she parted her lips and the kiss intensified as she wrapped her arms around his neck and leant against him. Harry's hands moved to her waist and she felt herself abruptly lifted off the floor, his arms wrapped around her midsection tightly. She slid one of her legs along his calf, wrapping it around his hip slightly before he laid her down on the couch, never taking his mouth away from hers.

As he settled her down on the couch and began to lay his body across hers, the front door locks clicked and the door opened, a whistling voice echoing through the hallway.

Harry sat up quickly as George wandered into the house, pausing at the entrance to the room and raising an eyebrow. Harry almost fell off the couch trying to arrange himself properly while Ginny glared at her brother.

"Well … hello there Miss I'm-Of-Age-And-Can-Do-What-I-Please. Don't let me interrupt," he laughed as he turned and walked into the kitchen.

Ginny glared at his retreating figure. "If my first act of legal magic would be to hex him I'd be highly disappointed, so I'm going to refrain," she growled, making Harry laugh loudly.

"C'mon, I suppose we'd better get to sleep," Harry said, glancing at his watch. He held out his hands and helped her to her feet. As they approached the third floor of Grimmauld Place, they both stared down the hall at Ron's door. It was shut, but there was an echoing sound of giggling coming from the room. Smirking slightly, Ginny walked down the hall and banged on the door.

"Might I suggest a Silencing Charm?" she asked as she walked away. Harry could hear Hermione laughing loudly and Ron swearing at her as she walked back, neither of them opening the door.

"Someday we'll get some privacy, I suppose," Harry said, placing his arm around her shoulders and leading her to his bedroom. Ginny smiled and snuggled against him, allowing her eyes to take in the changes to his room as well. She hadn't been in the room since it had become his, and was surprised by what it entailed.

The dressers were the same as they had been, except they appeared to be cleaner. The wall coverings had been replaced as well, but instead of the beige and cream that was present throughout the house, this room was a dusky, pale gold with red trim. Harry had left Sirius's Gryffindor hangings on the walls, in addition to several motorcycle posters and a picture of his father and his friends. She smiled as she walked around the room, noting the private bathroom that was located off the west end of the room.

"Can I ask why here? I thought perhaps you'd take the master?" Ginny asked, still staring around her.

"Sirius kept Buckbeak in there, it's practically destroyed. Kreacher stays there now- he seems happy and he has a bed now instead of that small cupboard. Plus it felt … homier in here. More familiar, I suppose," Harry explained, dropping his eyes.

Ginny turned back to him and crossed the room slowly, wrapping her arms around his waist when she met him.

"I know you still miss him, I'm sorry," Ginny whispered into his chest.

Harry's arms circled her and pulled her close. "It's all right. Um … your suitcase is over there," he explained, pointing to a bag by the closet. "I'll um … step out so you can get changed."

Harry smiled as he blushed and grabbed his own pajamas before heading to the bathroom. Ginny thought vaguely about not putting anything on and crawling into bed just to watch the expression on his face when he returned, but decided against it, thinking there would be times for tricks like that later on.

After she had dressed, she moved to look out the window and stare at the stars above. Her eyes closed as she felt Harry's fingers run through her hair and down her back.

"That is very … pretty," he mumbled quietly. She smiled curiously as she turned around and found his eyes wide as he stared at her.

"This?" she asked, indicating her night dress. It was utterly boring; she had much more attractive and seductive night clothes but had not packed them because they would be unnecessary on their trip. The night dress she wore was stark white, long sleeved and ended at her feet. She noted that it did tend to cling to her figure, but it was still plain. The only beautiful thing about it was the faint, intricate lace patterns of flowers.

Harry didn't say anything, just nodded as he traced a line down her neck and over her collar bone. She didn't realize how low the gown was cut until his finger traced below her collar bone along the line of her dress, which rested just above her breasts.

Snapping himself out of his sudden fascination with the way the white dress hugged Ginny's curves, he cleared his throat and shook his head. "Right … I'm very sleepy. Um … do you need any extra blankets?"

"Aren't you my blanket?"

Harry smiled. "I suppose." He took her hand and led her to the bed. They crawled under the covers and she snuggled into his arms, laying her head against his chest as he gently stroked her hair.

"Good night, Harry," she whispered.

"Night," he replied.

"I love you."

"I love you too, Ginny."

* * *

The unpleasant, musky smell filled her nostrils as she was drug down the long, dark hallway toward the dungeons. She didn't fight anymore, for she could hear screaming coming from the end of the hall and was afraid of where she was being taken.

Ginny was pushed violently onto the floor; her hands hitting the stone with a loud smack as she felt her wrist crack from the fall. She didn't cry out, however, for when she lifted her eyes she saw Neville lying on the floor in front of her, screaming in complete agony. Clamoring to her feet, she saw Alecto Carrow standing over him, her wand outstretched and her face contorted in fury.

"TALK Longbottom! I can do this all night! Let's see how long you can hold out compared to your parents!" she screeched at him, flicking her wand and causing Neville's body to twitch into an odd position and scream louder.

"STOP!" Ginny screamed. "He doesn't know anything!"

"He might not, but you do, pretty girl," Amycus' voice came from behind her. Ginny swatted his hand away as it traced up her arm. Alecto flicked her wand again, finishing the spell. Neville stopped screaming and rolled on to his side, his eyes barely opening as he gasped at Ginny's presence. She ran to him and frowned in shock. One of his eyes was puffy and swollen, a large gash ran along the side of his cheek and he was breathing heavily.

"What is it that I know?" Ginny asked as she used Neville's shirt to wipe up the blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Where Potter is, and what he's doing," Amycus said simply.

"I've told you and I've told Snape a hundred times- I haven't seen Harry since last school year. Is that why you're doing this? Neville hasn't seen him either! No one has!" she screeched at the two Death Eaters towering over her.

Amycus frowned before grabbing Ginny roughly by the arm and pulling her to her feet. At this, Neville began to stir feebly.

"Leave … her … alone," he whispered.

"Shut it, Longbottom," Alecto hissed, issuing him a violent kick in the stomach.

"No! Stop it!" Ginny screamed, raising her wand only to have her arm pulled behind her back by Amycus.

"Fond of yer friend? How would Potter feel about how fond ya are of him? Or how fond ya are of me?" The Death Eater hissed, sliding his hand along Ginny's hip.

Ginny cringed and gagged; she could smell the filthy, sweaty stench coming off of him as he breathed into her neck. "Get your hands off me," she hissed, pulling away from him.

She couldn't get far as he grabbed her broken wrist and whipped her around, causing stabbing pain to shoot through her arm. She screamed and Neville tried to jump to his feet again, only to be slapped across the face by Alecto.

"Where's Potter?" Amycus roared into Ginny's face.

"I don't know!" she screamed, trying to move away from him. "I don't know!"

"Yer a liar, Weasley," he hissed in return, twisting her wrist hard to the left and causing her to scream again.

"Leave her alone!" Neville screamed from the floor.

"Longbottom here has got a detention," Amycus whispered. "He's been mouthy to me sister, and mouthy about the Dark Lord. You've got a detention coming too; Snape might think you were punished enough for stealing that sword but the Dark Lord doesn't agree, and neither do I."

He whipped her around so she faced Neville, still holding tight to her broken wrist but allowing her wand arm to be free. She moved to stun him and he parried the spell before pressing himself against her and breathing heavily into her ear. She felt him nod against her and watched as Alecto moved over Neville again, who looked defiant as she flourished her wand at him.

"CRUCIO!"

Neville's screams echoed throughout the tiny room. Ginny twisted furiously and waived her wand again and again at Alecto, each spell being blocked or parried by Amycus as he held her tightly against him.

"You can stop it; curse her," he hissed into her ear.

"Crucio!" Ginny yelled through the tears that ran copiously down her cheeks.

"Ya got to mean it, pretty! Would you mean it if you knew that if ya don't I'll be seeing just how pretty you really are?" Amycus hissed into her neck, his other hand tracing along her hip.

"CRUCIO!" Ginny screamed again, twisting away from the Death Eater despite the pain stabbing viciously through her arm and waving her wand wildly at Alecto.

"Yer doing it wrong, Weasley!" Alecto yelled. She flourished her wand again and screamed the curse as Ginny watched helplessly while Neville screamed and writhed upon the floor.

Ginny felt hate flow through her blood- not only at Alecto and Amycus, but at all the Death Eaters that walked freely through the land while Harry, Ron and Hermione were hiding in some cold place she knew not and fighting for their lives, and Neville was being tortured in front of her.

Almost like he could read the thoughts that were taking over her, Amycus leaned closer and breathed against Ginny's ear, snaking his arm around her waist and his filthy hand under her shirt, lightly touching the skin on her stomach before fiddling with the button on her jeans and sliding his fingers lower. She struggled violently against him, but was impeded by the pain in her wrist as he gripped her tightly.

"If ya hate us so much, end it for Longbottom and yerself … help Potter out and get rid of us," he sneered into her neck, his tone mocking her plight.

"_CRUCIO_!"

Ginny screamed the curse as hate and anger burst out of her. Alecto was thrown violently against the wall and slid to the floor, squirming in agony as Ginny held her wand on her.

Amycus released her with a laugh and she fell to the floor, the curse breaking and Alecto jumping to her feet.

"Powerful this one is; she stung me at the same time she cursed you!" he exclaimed as Alecto approached Ginny and slapped her soundly across the face.

"What's Potter goin' to think of you now? He's fighting the Dark Art's and yer using them?" Alecto taunted, her face coming into Ginny's vision.

Hot tears stung her eyes; she felt so much rage that she could probably have cursed the Death Eater again. Amycus walked back into her line of vision, however, and she cowered as he ran his dirty fingers through her hair before moving close to her face, sniffing at her like a dog. She squirmed away from him and huddled next to Neville, who was shaking violently as he tried to comfort her. The scene around her faded away as the laughter of the Carrow's echoed in her ears. She opened her eyes to find herself in a different place, Neville was gone, and so were Amycus and Alecto. Ginny stood slowly and looked around wildly for any new foes.

"How could you, Ginny?"

Ginny spun wildly to see Harry kneeling to her side, his hands on the floor, head bowed as Voldemort stood over him.

"Harry, No! I had no choice! I –"

"You are powerful, and you can perform the Unforgivable Curses … you will be valuable," Voldemort sneered at her. "I saw it inside you, Ginny Weasley, your first year at Hogwarts. My fragment will never part from you; you'll always have a piece of my cruelty in your heart."

"No!" Ginny screamed, backing away and raising her wand.

"Ginny…" Harry's voice whispered quietly. She just shook her head, tears running freely down her cheeks as she watched Voldemort sneer and raise his arm to curse Harry.

"Ginny? Ginny!" Harry's voice came again, distant this time even though he was right in front of her.

"I had no choice, I didn't mean it," she whimpered while she watched Voldemort sneer and the jet of green light strike Harry squarely in the back.

"STOP!" she screamed, throwing her hands out toward him.

"Ginny!" Harry said, shaking her. His eyes were wide and scared as he watched her cry out and shake violently in her sleep. "Ginny, wake up! It's all right … you're all right," he muttered as he pulled her close to him.

"OH!" she cried, finally waking up from the nightmare. Her head whipped around, taking in the surroundings and realizing she was not in the dungeon, nor in the white foggy place of her nightmares. Her hands moved quickly, trying to figure out what was holding her so tightly when she realized it was Harry, still muttering soothing words into her hair. "Oh, God!" she cried, beginning to sob again.

"Ginny, it's all right, you're safe," Harry said as he stroked her hair. Her nails dug into the bare skin on his chest as she clung to him, trying to make sure he was really there and this wasn't still a dream.

A resounding crack filled the room and Ginny heard Harry ask Kreacher for a glass of water. She sniffed, trying to calm herself, and saw the light from the hallway spread through the room as the door opened and Hermione leaned through the door.

"Harry, is she okay?" Hermione asked in a soft voice, Ginny forgot she had witnessed her nightmares before.

"Yeah, yeah we're okay," Harry muttered, turning toward the door and nodding. "I've got her, thanks Hermione." Hermione nodded and the light left the room.

"Ginny, are you awake? What's wrong? What happened?" Harry asked, still holding her close. She didn't want to look at him, and didn't want to tell him about the nightmare that had plagued her since January of last year. She pulled gently out of his vice-like grip, observing the kneeling figure in front of her as his hands gently cupped her face.

"Merlin's Beard, Harry!" she exclaimed suddenly, noticing a large purple-green bruise that covered part of his chest. "I didn't do that, did I?"

"No, of course not, that's where the curse hit me," he explained, looking down and shrugging.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, tracing her finger lightly over the area.

"It's going away, it's not nearly as bad as it was," he said quickly. "Enough about my bruise- what happened? What were you dreaming about?"

Ginny froze, "I don't remember," she lied quickly.

For the first time since the war ended, Ginny watched anger flash through Harry's eyes. He pressed his lips together and grimaced at her, dropping his hands from her shoulders.

"You can't honestly expect me to believe that," he muttered.

Her first reaction was to stare him down in defiance, part of her thinking that she was going to keep her vow and that he would never find out about all that she had been through the previous year. But as she stared into the emerald green depths of his eyes, her resolve crumbled like an old brick wall and tears began to flow down her cheeks.

"I've had the same nightmare for months, since January," she whispered quietly. "After Christmas, when Luna didn't come back, Neville and I started asking what happened to her. We started with McGonagall, who didn't have a clue and was just as upset as we were. Then we started harassing the Carrows about it."

"I'm guessing that didn't go over well," replied Harry as he reached out and took her hand in his, gently stroking the back of it with his thumb. She looked up and saw that his eyes had softened, but she read within their depths that he wanted the whole story before they could continue to progress in their relationship.

Ginny launched into the explanation of the dream and the events that caused the reoccurring nightmare. Neville had mouthed off to Alecto, threatening that if anything happened to Luna, she would answer to him personally. That same day, Ginny had been overheard by Amycus talking to Parvarti Patil about Harry and the others breaking into the Ministry. Under the presumption of making her serve a detention, he dragged her down to the dungeon where Neville was being tortured.

Ginny sobbed as she explained how the Death Eater threw her to the ground, breaking her wrist, and then threatened her with both watching Neville be tortured and having him take advantage of her in her weakened state. She explained how, in her efforts to stop Neville from being tortured, she tried every spell she could think of, but Amycus blocked everyone one but the Cruciatus Curse and threatened to "see how pretty she really was" unless she could pull it off.

"I did it … I was able to do it, and I stopped her, but that didn't stop them," she muttered, wiping her tears with the sleeve of her night dress. "Alecto slapped me, and Amycus … he … I don't know what he was going to do and then they cursed me. I could hear Neville screaming, but he couldn't do anything; he was so weak. I … don't know how long they used it … I started to see things, horrible things, but when they stopped Amycus was over me and he was … touching my legs and …" she stopped when Harry's hand squeezed hers roughly and watched the anger flash through his eyes again.

"But, that's where the dream changes," she explained. "It changes to you … and sometimes Voldemort is there telling me how I'll make a good Death Eater, or he's killing you, or … sometimes it's just you, asking me how I could practice … Dark Arts when," she paused, sobbing into her hands, "When … you've always been fighting against them and … it's taken away everything you've loved and now it's taken me away," she whispered through her muffled cries.

Harry pulled her into his arms and held her close, wiping her tears away with his fingers and kissing her eyelids. "Ginny, you didn't have a choice. You didn't practice anything- you were forced down there. I would have done the same thing, and I'm glad you did … I'm so sorry that happened, and I'm so sorry I wasn't there," he whispered. He thought about Ron being able to comfort Hermione instantly after she had suffered torture, and here he was, eight months later, just now finding out about Ginny's ordeal and trying to comfort her. The guilt of his absence settled in his chest. "I shouldn't have left; I should have stayed and fought them. I'm so sorry."

"If you had done that, the war wouldn't be over," she explained. "You can't change it; it happened and it's over. It's just hard for me to forget. I wish I could just erase it from my memory."

"I do too," he said as he kissed her forehead. "You said that's where the dream changes. What happened in the chamber? Did …?" he trailed off the question as it caught in his throat. She felt him tense against her with anger, not at her, but at the thought of what might have happened.

"Snape heard Neville screaming for them to leave me alone and he came in. He told them that all punishment was to be reviewed by him before it was carried out and took Neville and I to the hospital wing. I remember trying to yell at him for allowing them to be there in the first place, for making this happen … he didn't say anything. He just brought us, and left," she explained quietly. Harry's arms relaxed around her. "I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't come," she said quietly.

"Don't think about that … don't," Harry said, pulling her in front of him. She could see relief in his eyes as he again wiped the tears away from her face. "It didn't happen, so there's no point in the what-if's. You're here and you're safe, and I swear on everything I own that I will –"

"Don't, Harry," she said warningly. "Don't go running after them. I know they're on the most wanted list, and if the other Auror's are with you that's fine. But don't go after them by yourself on my account, please. They'll kill you, or something worse, and I don't know what I would do if you were gone. Please don't go chasing them," she pleaded as she snuggled into his chest.

Harry sighed deeply and snuggled back against her. He offered her a drink of water which had appeared magically on the night stand. When she was finished he put the glass back and lay down on his pillow, beckoning her to come into his arms. She lay her head against his chest and snaked her arms around his waist.

"I won't Ginny, I won't leave you again," he promised, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "I wish you would have told me sooner though. I wanted to help; I wish I could help more. I wish Neville would have told me," he said as he stared at the ceiling.

"I made him swear not to," Ginny muttered.

"Why?"

"I thought that either you would be repulsed by what I had done, or you'd be so angry you'd seek them out for vengeance and I just didn't want you to leave again," she explained. "I promise, Harry, that's the worst that happened last year. I won't hide anything like that from you again, I was just … scared of what you'd think. But now you know, and only you and Neville know … so please, _please,_ don't tell my family; they would go insane," she begged him.

"I promise I won't tell a soul about anything that happened, but I don't think you should hide it forever- they care and they just want to help."

"I know, but Mum and Dad would lose it, you know they would. It's just better for them if they don't know … I didn't even want you to know … I don't want you to think badly of me for letting that happen."

"Ginny, there is nothing you could do that would make me not want you or think badly of you," Harry assured her, rolling onto his side and pulling her closer to him. "And you didn't let anything happen, so don't blame yourself. I love you, and I wouldn't want to imagine my life without you in it again."

Ginny smiled slightly and pressed her lips against the large bruise on his chest. "Me either, so let's make sure that doesn't happen, okay?"

"Sounds like a plan," Harry whispered. He nestled his face into her hair and breathed in her scent, waves of guilt over his absence still washing over him.

"Harry?"

"Hmm?" Harry muttered as he pressed his lips to Ginny's forehead.

"I love you; I have for the longest time. Please, please say you won't leave me again?" Ginny whispered, chastising herself for giving into her weakness as the words came pouring out. "I know that's incredibly selfish of me to ask and I don't expect any promises or –"

Her explanation was silenced by Harry's lips as they pressed against hers firmly. She felt her body relax into his as his arms tightened around her, and she pressed her palms softly against his chest, allowing the sensation of his bare skin to overwhelm her.

"I promise, Ginny, I won't leave you again," Harry whispered against her lips, nuzzling his nose against hers gently. "Go to sleep; I'm here with you now and I won't ever let anything happen to you."

Ginny sighed and snuggled into his chest, allowing sleep to overcome her again as her head filled with dreams of Harry holding her tightly and staying by her side forever.


	12. Australia

Again, originally 1 chapter and I split it into two. Enjoy!

* * *

Australia

Always on your side – Sheryl Crow

* * *

"Harry, you didn't need to do this," Hermione muttered as Harry handed her a pouch filled with what she knew was gold.

"Hermione," he said patiently, "I owe you my life, several times over in fact. I know you would never admit it, but you've got to be feeling a little bereft. Just take it, and if it makes you feel better it's really for all of us. I'm just giving it to you because you're the most responsible." He pushed the bag at her, smirking, before walking back to the kitchen.

She stared at the pouch of money, feeling grateful for his kindness and guilty for accepting it. She had managed to become approved for a Muggle credit-card just in case, but having cashed in her entire savings prior to leaving her home for the Burrow last summer, she wasn't sure how she was going to pay it off if they needed to use it. Ron had offered numerous times to help pay for her trip, but she refused knowing that he was just starting to make money from working at the shop and was saving for several things. It made her smile to watch Ron earn money of his own to spend how he pleased.

Hermione re-read the letter she had received two weeks ago from a wizard in Australia who had managed to locate her parents. She needed to write to Kingsley and Percy both to thank them again, for helping her make contact with the Australian Wizarding Parliament and a representative with their International Wizarding Affairs office.

_Dear Ms. Granger,_

_ Using the information you have given me, I have located Wendell and Monica Wilkins residing in Adelaide, Southern Australia. I have arranged a Portkey for you and your traveling party to leave from London on August thirteenth at 12:30A.M. and travel to the city. I will meet you there to help set up your accommodations for the length of your stay._

_Should you have any questions please contact me, otherwise we will see you on the thirteenth of August._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Tobey Fieldbridge_

She sighed deeply as she thought of her parents. Harry had been right; she had felt rather bereft since she had not been able to return home after the war. Ron and his family had been loving and welcome as always, but she missed her parents and was desperate to have them back in her life.

During the time spent at the Burrow, she had discussed Memory charms frequently with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Kingsley, when he had visited. She knew the charm had been successful; if it hadn't been, she was sure her parents would have contacted Hogwarts at some point to find out about her well-being. Again she felt a pang of longing; she knew it was no comparison, but she suddenly had a vague understanding of how Harry had felt his entire life.

"You all right, Hermione?" Ron's voice asked suddenly, pulling her back from her reverie.

"Yes, yes I'm fine. Just reading and making sure we've got everything," she said quickly, stowing away the bag of money. She'd used the same Undetectable Extension Charm on a small bag similar to the one she had used during their previous travels, though she did think it much easier not having to be so secretive about it.

"We've got it all, don't worry. Have you eaten?" he asked, rubbing her shoulders gently.

"I have, though I think there are still pancakes in the kitchen if you're hungry," she said, placing a hand on his.

"Good, I'm going to go grab some." Ron kissed the top of her head and went to the kitchen. Hermione smiled as he walked out of the room. They had never really come out and declared themselves boyfriend or girlfriend, but it appeared there had been a mutual and unspoken understanding that they were now together. She was overly surprised at how affectionate Ron was toward her; he was not shy to hug or kiss her in front of anyone.

Looking down, she examined the new wand Ron had bought for her last week from Ollivander's recently re-opened shop. Vine, ten inches, with hair from the mane of a Kelpie, a new core he was trying out. She had gotten used to it quickly; it felt very friendly in her hand and was immensely powerful when she had tried it a few times. A flicker of anxiety rose in her chest as she hoped it was powerful enough to undo the enchantment she had placed upon her parents. She had been told that there was a possibility that the Charm could not be undone since it had been in place for such a long time.

"You're very quiet this morning," said Ron somberly, again interrupting her daydreaming as he fiddled with his breakfast.

"I'm just thinking. Nothing is wrong, don't worry," she assured him with a grin.

"Harry thinks we're rubbing off on one another," he said, smiling.

"Why's that?"

"He told me about you interrupting him and Ginny talking a few weeks ago, said that I should stop passing on my bad traits to you," he teased.

"He said they were talking?"

"They weren't talking?"

She grinned in spite of herself before she started backtracking. "They were talking… just not at that moment," she tried to explain as she watched him cringe. "You are going to have to get over this, you know. I'm sure Harry will begin to resent it if you can hug and touch me all the time but he can't lay a finger on Ginny," she laughed.

Ron shook his head. "I'm not fussed about it. I think we'll be so busy they won't have a lot of time to get into trouble," he added, taking another bite.

"Neither will we," she advised.

"We'll make time," he grinned, making her laugh loudly.

"What's so funny?" a small voice said. Ginny was descending the stairs, looking a little disheveled in her pajamas.

"Nothing," Ron and Hermione said at the same time, causing her to narrow her eyes.

"I see, more of your funny business," she grinned at them both. "Did you get my message about a Silencing Charm? It would benefit you both to learn it," she teased.

Hermione blushed a bright scarlet as Ron flung a piece of toast in Ginny's direction. She flicked her wand and it reversed its path and landed neatly back on Ron's plate.

"Harry's right, that does feel good," she smiled as she realized that she could now use magic whenever she wanted without consequence.

*******

***

"Strange place for a Portkey, don't you think?" Ron muttered to Harry as they walked toward an empty Rugby stadium in London. Kingsley was standing in the field waiting for them next to a small coffee can. He was examining a letter and looked up as the four of them approached.

"Evening Hermione, Ron, Harry, Ginny. Ready to be off?" he asked, looking around at them all with a friendly smile.

"Yes, I think we are, Kingsley. Thanks for setting this up, I really appreciate it," said Hermione as she shook his hand.

"Not a problem, Hermione. We owe it to you, all of you," he said with a grin. "When you arrive in Adelaide it will be 9:30 in the morning so you'll have the whole day to look. You've got the letter from Tobey, and he'll help you out with all the other details when you get there. Ready?" he asked, motioning to the coffee can on the ground.

All of them nodded and knelt down to touch the sides of the cup. They heard Kingsley's voice counting backwards from three and were suddenly pulled into spinning blackness. The sensation lasted longer than other Portkeys they had taken before; Hermione thought to herself that it was probably due to the distance they were traveling.

The spinning began to slow and suddenly they landed in a jumbled heap on dry, dusty ground in bright sunlight. Hermione squinted her eyes as she examined her surroundings: the air was warmer here, and humid. The sun shone brightly from a cloudless sky and the ground they landed on was covered in dry grass. Ron was helping her to her feet when a voice called out to them.

"He'mione Grangea?" a tall sandy-haired man said as he jumped up from a low brick wall surrounding the field where they had landed. "Tobey Fieldbridge, nice to meet ya at last!" he said, promptly offering his hand to shake.

"Good to meet you too, Tobey," she said, returning the shake. "Thank you so much for helping me out. This is Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and Ginny Weasley- they've come to help me sort things out here," she said, indicating them all in turn.

"'Ello," he said as he shook each of their hands. "Nice to have you. Been through quite a panic you all have. Stories go quickly through the channels, but glad to see you're all okay. Getting back to normal now?" he asked, looking around for their responses. They all nodded sheepishly as he smiled.

"You're all so young! Just schoolies you are," laughed Tobey as they glanced around at each other. "Anyway, He'mione, this is the information you wanted, checked them out personally. They seem happy, Wendell and Monica, working here as dentists. Got a nice little house on Archer Lane, here's the address," he said, pointing to a map. "White one, blue shutters. I've marked off spots where you all can Apparate; make it easier to get around. Here's my office down town- I'll be there most of the time, so if you need me just stop by or send a message my way and I'll catch up with you."

"Thanks Tobey, this is great," said Hermione as she looked over the map. She suddenly felt nervous. "You haven't… um… You haven't, by chance, talked to them- have you?"

"A bit, visited their office for an appointment just to make sure I'd found the right people. You cast the charm well; they only know they lived in England for years, they don't remember anything else. Just that they'd always wanted to move here, so they did," said Tobey, his smile fading a bit.

"Right," Hermione replied, her voice cracking a bit. She felt Ron's hand pat the small of her back. "Well, we'll just be on our way then. We'll contact you if we need anything Tobey; thank you again."

The four of them all shook hands with Tobey in turn and watched as he Disapparated back to Parliament. Ginny placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "It'll be okay, Hermione. Let's go to their office, see what's going on and find out what time they'll get home. Then we can make plans, all right?" she said soothingly. Hermione nodded.

Ginny had not yet gotten her Apparition license and, so far, loathed the method of travel so they decided to walk through town. It wasn't long before they found the office where Hermione's parents worked in downtown Adelaide. It was small and quaint, and a painted sign in the window read "Central Adelaide Dental Care: Drs. Wendell and Monica Wilkins." Hermione began to shake as they stood outside the front door on the sidewalk discussing their plans.

"Maybe one of us should just go in and ask what time the office closes," Ron suggested, taking in Hermione's tear glazed eyes. He laced his fingers through hers in a comforting gesture.

"I'll go in," Harry offered. "I'll make an appointment for tomorrow and just ask how late the office is open. Then let's... um, let's get something to eat. And some tea," he said, glancing at Ron and Ginny, who were both watching Hermione apprehensively.

Harry walked into the office and approached the front desk; the smell of the tools and medicine in the office reminded him of his time with the Dursley's. It had been years since he'd visited the dentist, anything wrong with his teeth could have been fixed by Madam Pomfrey at school or by himself, so there had been no need once he enrolled in Hogwarts.

"Welcome to Central Adelaide Dental Care," the receptionist greeted. "Your name?"

"Harry Potter," he said, not bothering to use an alias.

"Appointment time?"

"I actually don't have one. I was wondering if I could schedule one?"

"Certainly, have you been to our office before?"

"No, I haven't."

"Dr. Monica has an appointment tomorrow at ten o'clock in the morning, would you be available?"

"Um… actually no, that wouldn't work. What time is the office open until?"

"We're open until six. The next appointment after that would be with Dr. Wendell tomorrow at three o'clock?"

"That will be fine, thank you," Harry said. He watched as the receptionist filled out a card with the appointment information, and with a friendly goodbye he was out the door and back on the sidewalk.

"They close at six, so we've got loads of time to figure this out," he said as he approached Hermione, Ron, and Ginny, who were now sitting on a bench. Ginny was patting Hermione on the back as Ron held her hand and she had tears running down her face.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"Yes, it's okay. Let's get something to eat," Ginny replied, tugging on Hermione's hand to help her up.

They found a small restaurant down the street from the office. It was quiet and they opted for a table out in the sunshine. Ginny ordered a cup of tea for Hermione and water for the rest of them.

"Hermione, what are your parents' names again? I know you've told me but I keep forgetting," Ginny asked quietly.

"Simon and Jean," she replied. "I'm so sorry, I don't know why I'm falling to pieces," she said finally, looking around at all of them.

"Hermione, it's all right," said Ron taking her hand again. "It'll work; we'll be fine, don't worry. Are you sure you want to try tonight?"

She nodded quickly. "I don't think I can stand this. It's so awful to think that I might see them and they will have no idea I even exist. What happens if it doesn't work?" she questioned, looking at all of them in turn. "What will I do?"

"You'll stay with us as long as you need. We talked about this with Mum and Dad, remember?" Ginny said, rubbing her shoulder. "They love you, and you're welcome at the Burrow whenever."

"And you can always come stay at our house," said Harry, indicating Ron and himself. "We'll take care of you Hermione, don't worry."

Ron nodded, watching Hermione smile slightly and squeeze his hand as he stroked hers with his thumb. He hadn't seen her so upset since the night he left her and Harry at the camp by the river and wanted to say something to comfort her, but the words wouldn't come. She wiped a few stray tears on the back of her hand. Guilt seeped through Ron for not understanding how she felt; both she and Harry - for the time being - were orphans, something he didn't have the faintest idea how to comprehend.

The time passed slowly, and a majority of the afternoon was spent in a small park they found. Ron sat under a tree and stroked Hermione's hair as she dozed in his lap. He watched Harry and Ginny play on the equipment and shook his head. They were both much too big for the slides, swings, and tunnels that were there, but this didn't seem to stop them from testing out everything and laughing like they were having the time of their lives. This was the most time he'd ever spent in the Muggle world, and it was much more peaceful than he imagined.

"Ron?"

"Yes?"

"I never got a chance to thank you," Hermione muttered as she sat up.

"For what?" he asked as she took a hold of his hand.

"For saving me," she whispered.

"Hermione," he said, brushing the hair from her face. "You don't need to thank me for that."

"Yes, I do. You offered yourself in my place, and then you saved me. A thank you is the least I can do," she explained, raising her eyes to look into his.

Ron nodded, but he wasn't sure what to say to her. She'd never talked about what happened at Malfoy Manor, and he hadn't brought it up because the memory of it caused him frequent nightmares.

"Do you like working at the shop?" Hermione asked, sensing his hesitancy to discuss the events of last Easter and changing the subject.

"Er… yeah, it's great! It really is, its loads of fun and I'm learning a lot more than I thought I would," he said honestly.

"That's good. Do you think you'll stay there? Perhaps George would make you a partner," Hermione suggested with a smile.

"Maybe, I dunno," Ron said with a shrug. "I like it, but I think I still want to move on eventually. I'd still like to be an Auror, I'm just not sure."

"Well you've got time to decide, although I know Harry would love to have you with him," she said, kissing his hand. Ron raised an eyebrow at her. "He was talking to me about it this morning, said he likes the people he works with but it's just not the same without you."

Ron nodded and glanced over at Harry. "Was he serious?"

"Of course he was," Hermione said, following Ron's gaze.

"Doesn't look like he's serious about anything right now," Ron commented as they watched Harry and Ginny hang upside down from a set of parallel bars, both of them laughing hysterically.

Hermione smiled and said, "You've never been to a playground, have you?" Ron shook his head.

"C'mon then," Hermione said, hopping to her feet and pulling him with her. She had a bright smile on her face as he glanced at her.

"Aren't we a bit… big?" Ron asked.

"Ah, who cares," she said, pulling him along.

After a few times on the swings and down the slide, Ron began laughing and enjoying himself just as much as Harry and Ginny had been. Hermione was uncharacteristically giddy as they played on the equipment and Ron enjoyed watching her bright eyes light up every time he tried something new. The four of them played well into the evening as Muggles passed on their way home and stared curiously at them.

When six o'clock arrived, they walked to Archer Lane to watch until Hermione's parents arrived home. The plan was to watch through the window until they were in sight and then cast the reverse Memory charm on them from a distance. Hermione would then go to the door and pretend to be a local Muggle collecting money for charity. Kingsley had mentioned that sometimes in order for the counter charm to take effect, the subject had to have a reminder in front of them to bring back the memories. Hermione said she would ask them about their children if they didn't respond to her presence.

When they arrived on Archer Lane it was just in time to see a small, black car pull into the driveway. The house was quaint, just like Tobey had described it: white with blue shutters. The lawn was well kept and had a number of large plants that flourished around the sidewalk. Hermione's earlier giddiness had been replaced with the same apprehension she had felt upon their arrival in Adelaide. She gasped and quivered as Ron held her when she saw her mother and father exit the car and step inside the little house, tears streaming down her face.

"You sure you can do this?" Harry asked, observing Hermione's tears. "Maybe you should go with her, Ginny." Ginny nodded, squeezing Hermione's hand gently.

"Yes, come with me please," Hermione whispered, again wiping the tears from her cheeks. She composed herself and walked toward the house with Ginny by her side. Ron stepped back and watched the pair walk to the house, wishing there was something he could think of to say to reassure her.

Hermione's resolve suddenly failed her as she watched her mother walk by the small window that peered into their sitting room. Her brown hair was longer, tied back in a pony tail that hung past her shoulders. She was also thinner, Hermione noticed, though her face hadn't changed. Hermione watched from the shadows under a tree as her mum walked back outside and watered her plants. She was smiling slightly, her brown eyes lighting up at the site of her flourishing garden.

"Hermione, you want to do it now while she's outside?" Ginny whispered, pulling out her wand.

"Yes… yes, that's a good idea. What's the incantation, I can't remember," she whispered back, her voice shaking with emotion.

"_Consciate_," Ginny replied.

Hermione raised her wand, allowing her mind to fill with all the memories she'd erased from her parents June of last year: the vague memories of her infancy, taking her first steps, speaking her first words, her first day of pre-school, the awards she'd won for excellence in primary school, receiving her Hogwarts letter, the brilliant red Hogwarts Express, the hugs and kisses they bestowed upon her every summer she returned home, Christmases, holidays, everything she could think of. Her heart swelled with emotion and love for the people who raised her and helped make her who she was. Focusing all her energy on these thoughts, she whispered "_Consciate_!" as she pointed her wand at Jean Granger.

Ginny and Hermione watched as Mrs. Granger's watering can hit the ground and splashed her shoes. She stood slightly and shook her head, looking at her surroundings briefly. After glancing behind her and to the sides, she shrugged and picked up the watering can and returned to her task. Hermione glanced at Ginny and nodded before they stepped out from the shade of their tree and walked toward the sidewalk.

They hadn't gotten very far when Mrs. Granger stood and turn toward the two of them. "Hello!" she said in a friendly voice. "Can I help you girls with something?"

Hermione's voice shook as she spoke. "Um… hi, yes. Um, we're from the local church down the street. We're uh… collecting money for a children's care charity, and were wondering if you'd like to donate?" The question sounded ridiculous coming from her lips; she should have prepared a better presentation.

"What kind of a children's charity? I didn't know they were collecting," Mrs. Granger said, tipping her head to the side.

Hermione lost her breath; she had hoped that the sound of her voice and her presence would be enough to jog the memory and help the charm work, but her mother just looked at her, completely oblivious that it was her daughter standing there. She made a stuttering noise, trying to find the words to continue and was grateful when Ginny's voice piped up and spoke instead.

"It's for financial assistance to families in need. The money donated will go to provide families with medical and dental care, along with clothing and housing needs. Would you be interested?"

"Actually, my husband and I are both dentists! Yes, I can donate, but would you be willing to refer them to our clinic?" Mrs. Granger asked, her brown eyes lighting up at the thought of being able to help.

"That would work out beautifully," said Ginny, smiling. "Do you have any children of your own?" Her eyes darted to Hermione, who stood frozen at the question.

Mrs. Granger paused and her face went blank suddenly, but then her voice came back as though nothing had happened.

"No, we don't. My husband and I lived in Britain for a number of years but desperately wanted to come to Australia. I don't think we ever had time for a family," she explained, her voice trailing off.

"I see. Would you want to donate now, or should we come back?" Ginny said quickly, placing her hand on Hermione's back to steady her swaying figure. Her eyes darted to where Harry and Ron stood watching across the street and both of them moved to come closer as she beckoned with her other hand.

"Oh I can donate now, let me go in and get some money. Can you wait here?" Mrs. Granger asked as Ginny nodded. She turned her back and walked through the front door, leaving it open behind her.

Hermione watched her mother walk through the door and out of sight. Her father peeked his head out and walked outside to see what was going on.

"Hello," Mr. Granger said.

"Hello," Ginny replied, becoming flustered at the appearance of Hermione's father when she had been considering making a run for it. "We've been talking with your wife about a children's charity. She's gone to get us some business cards and a donation- would you like to hear more about it?"

"Business cards? Is it for dental care? We'd love to help out, let me go and talk with her to see how much we can give," he explained with a grin as he turned to go inside.

Ginny nudged Hermione with her elbow. "Do it now," she said, glancing at her friend.

"_Consciate!" _Hermione exclaimed, louder than she intended to. They watched as the spell hit Mr. Granger in the back and he froze in the middle of the entry way. He turned slowly around, his eyes unfocused and glazed. Hermione's breath caught as his eyes met hers and a confused look crossed his face.

"Wendell? Are you all right?" Mrs. Granger asked as she came back through the entry way holding a folded stack of Muggle money and a few cards. "Did these girls tell you what they're here for?"

Mr. Granger shook his head. "Yes, yes they did, dear; I think it's a wonderful idea. How much did you give them?"

"Well I only had fifty, will that be enough?" she asked, turning back to Hermione and Ginny.

Tears were welling up in Hermione's eyes as she nodded. Ginny took in Hermione's state and replied quickly, "Yes, that is more than enough; thank you for being so kind. We'll return the kindness and mention your clinic to each of the families. Thank you so much, we'll just be going now." She shook Mr. and Mrs. Grangers' hands and grabbed Hermione gently by the arm and pulled her back to where Ron and Harry were waiting.

"No good," Ginny explained. "We'll have to try tomorrow."

Ron moved forward and took Hermione gently into his arms, kissing the top of her head. "It's okay, it will be okay. Kingsley said it could take a few times, remember?"

Hermione didn't reply, but Ron felt her nod against his chest. He looked at Harry, desperately hoping for some suggestion of how to comfort her, but Harry just glanced at Ginny wide eyed and looked lost for words.

"Er… come on, let's, uh… let's contact that Fieldbridge bloke and see where we can stay," Harry suggested finally. He raised his wand but Hermione lifted her head and composed herself quickly.

"He won't know your Patronus, Harry, I'll have to do it," she explained. "Just give me a minute, I'll be fine."

"No rush," Harry said, taking in her somewhat frantic response. "Whenever you feel ready."

"Hermione, let's get something to eat and then you'll feel better, all right?" Ginny suggested, stepping in front of Harry and gently rubbing Hermione's arms.

"Yes… yes, let's do that," she responded as she started walking quickly back toward downtown.

They ate dinner in silence at an Italian Restaurant near what was marked on the map as Fieldbridge's office. Hermione picked at her pasta and ignored the other three of them as they discussed a place to stay. After they were finished, Hermione insisted on walking to the building where Fieldbridge's office would be rather than sending her Patronus. Ron, Ginny and Harry followed silently in her wake as she walked quickly across the street and through the large front doors.

"'Ello! Good to see you all again! How'd it go?" Fieldbridge asked, getting to his feet and moving around to sit on the edge of his desk.

"It didn't," Hermione replied a little testily. "We're going to try tomorrow. Is there somewhere we can stay?"

"Of course," Fieldbridge said, looking a little taken aback at Hermione's sudden coldness. "Down the street is the _Hostel de Adelaide_; I've left your names with them so they should have a room open for you. Is there anything I can do to assist?"

"No, I think we'll just try again tomorrow, thank you," Hermione said quickly before turning and walking out the door. Fieldbridge glanced at the remaining three friends and nodded as they muttered thanks and followed her out the door and into the street.

The hotel receptionist admitted to being a witch upon seeing them, so she offered them a room with a television and access to the Wizarding Wireless Network. This excited them, but sleep overtook Ginny almost as soon as her head hit the pillow and Ron distracted himself by trying to figure out the television set in their room. Hermione stood staring out the window at the dim lights that lit the city streets. Harry walked to stand beside her.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he muttered quietly. "But it will work, and we can stay as long as you want."

"I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong!" she spat under her breath. Ron moved behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders upon hearing her declaration.

"I don't think it's anything you're doing wrong, Hermione. It's not a test," he tried to explain.

"I can do every other spell, but why not this one?"

"Because this is tricky, even Kingsley said it was tricky," Ron said as he began to move his thumbs in circles on her neck.

"I suppose. I wish I could talk to him… or anyone now, to tell them what happened today and see if there is anything else I can try," she admitted.

"Kingsley does have a phone," Harry said suddenly, his eyes lighting up.

"He does?" Ron asked. "What for?"

"He got it when he was guarding the Muggle Prime Minister, made communication easier for them. I have his number if you want to call, Hermione," Harry offered.

"What time is it?" she asked.

"It's ten o'clock here, and my watch says its twelve o'clock tomorrow in London, so he'd still be at work, I'm guessing" Harry said.

"Do you think he would mind?" Hermione asked, glancing at the phone.

"No, not at all. He gave me a card to use to call him; it charges it directly so we don't have to worry about that," Harry explained as he withdrew his wallet and handed Hermione the card.

"Oh, Harry, thank you so much for mentioning this," she exclaimed as she ran to the phone and sat down on a chair. She quickly dialed the number and listened to the quiet ring with bated breath.

"Harry?" Kingsley's voice asked.

"It's actually Hermione, Kingsley, sorry," she muttered, glancing at Harry and wondering if Kingsley had told him to give out this number.

"How are you doing?" asked Kingsley, and Hermione found his low voice was soothing to her ear.

"Not well. I, um… I did the charm today, but it didn't seem to work. Both of them just… didn't even recognize me. I stood right in front of them, and I did everything you said: filled my head with the memories I erased before I cast the charm, I spoke to them, I just… I don't know, is it too late?" she asked in a whisper, a tear escaping down her cheek.

"Hermione, just breathe, okay? Memory charms are tricky, and remember, you erased your entire existence from their minds. You won't hurt them by casting it as many times as you need so don't worry about that," Kingsley assured her. "Now, did either of them respond in anyway when the spell hit them?"

"My mum was watering the flowers and she dropped her watering can, and my dad froze in the doorway, but other than shaking their heads, nothing monumental."

"Well that's actually a good sign that the spell made contact and it did something, even if it was just subconsciously at this point. Which charm did you use?" Kingsley asked.

"_Consciate."_

"Are you going to try tomorrow?"

"Yes, Harry actually has an appointment with them and then we'll try again when they get off of work."

"Good, tell Harry to talk about you a lot. Mention your name, your hair color, personality traits, anything. Give him some information about your childhood, tell him to bring up the fact that you were a Prefect at Hogwarts, stuff that your parents would remember. Then when you try again tomorrow, try _R__ememorari. __It's a bit stronger, but you can handle it," said Kingsley._

_"__R__ememorari, __okay. Thank you so much Kingsley. Good night," Hermione said as she hung up the phone. She felt hope surge back through her and thought that tomorrow would be the day._


	13. Memories

Memories

* * *

The morning was cool as the quartet ate breakfast in the lobby of the hotel, and Hermione was in better spirits and more positive about the afternoon after talking to Kingsley. Her calm, clever, business-like approach to planning had returned and Ron and Harry smiled to themselves at its reappearance.

During Harry's appointment, he mentioned anything he could think of about Hermione, also bringing up several references to Ron, the Weasley's, and himself, hoping to jog Mr. Granger's memory even more. It appeared to have no direct affect, though he could tell that the dentist was interested in his stories.

"Is this girl your girlfriend? You seem awfully fond of her," Mr. Granger commented.

"No, she's not, but she's like the sister I never had. She's an only child herself too," he added.

The appointment ended and Harry walked out to the sidewalk to see Ron sitting alone on the bench reading a Muggle magazine.

"Look at this girl!" he exclaimed, shoving a picture of a scantily-clad blonde female in a dress. "How in the hell do they get away with wearing that stuff?" he asked, pointing to the almost see-through dress she wore in the picture.

"It's fairly common, I think," Harry replied as he closed the magazine and shook his head.

"Blimey, I'd lose it if I saw Hermione wearing something like that," Ron muttered.

"Lose it how exactly?" Harry asked with a grin.

"I'd go off on her, she couldn't go out in something like that!" he exclaimed at Harry, his eyes widening at the thought.

Harry grinned mischievously. "What if she was wearing it only for you?"

Ron's face turned a deep red and he stared at the ground. "Well… uh… I mean, in that case-"

"Right, I don't need to hear anymore," Harry laughed as Ron shuffled his feet and tried to hide a grin. "Have you told her yet about how you feel? Or have you just been hugging and kissing her all the time?"

"We've talked a bit," Ron confessed. "I can't… work up the courage to tell her though. I feel like she just thinks it's a silly phase or something. I don't know… I'm pathetic, aren't I? Just her friend who works in a joke shop… that's probably all she sees me as." Ron kicked at a stone as they started to walk away from the office.

"You know that's not true," said Harry. "You're selling yourself short mate; don't. Just tell her- it really does feel a lot better once it's out in the open."

"You didn't think that when Ginny wouldn't tell you she loved you back," Ron reminded him.

"But she did, after my birthday, and after we talked the other night, she opened up… and now we're on the same page, I think," Harry said with a small smile.

"Did she tell you what her nightmare was about?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Harry muttered. "She made me promise not to tell anyone though, so don't ask please," he said quietly, glancing at Ron.

Ron nodded. "I won't make you break your promise… but was it bad?" he asked, a slight shade of red returning to his ears.

"Not what you're thinking," explained Harry. "But it was bad enough."

"Well at least she talked to someone about it. I'm happy for you guys; it's getting easier to accept that she's not a kid. 'Course it probably helps that it's you and not some other bloke I don't know as well," Ron admitted while Harry laughed.

* * *

Hermione and Ginny browsed through the racks of a local Muggle clothing shop, biding their time until Harry had finished with his appointment and they could return to her parent's house and re-try the Memory charm. Hermione found herself in a bad mood: she was angry for not having enough power to instantaneously replace her parents' memories, and upset that she didn't have the strength to keep her temper in check.

"Hermione?" Ginny asked quietly from across the aisle.

"Yes?"

"How far have you and Ron gone?" she asked quietly as she stared at the rack of rather skimpy lingerie, not daring to look at Hermione's face.

"Come again?" Hermione asked, her voice rising in pitch as she tried to understand the question. She moved over to where Ginny stood. "Did I hear you right?"

"How far…have you…and Ron…gone?" Ginny asked again, deliberately slow to emphasize the point of her question.

"How far? What do you…" Hermione trailed off as she followed Ginny's gaze. "OH! Oh. Ginny! That's kind of a personal question don't you think? I mean…I'm not sure I should-"

"Hermione," Ginny said patiently. "You said yourself you thought of me as a sister. Come on, help me out here, just answer the question. I'm not going to tell anyone."

Hermione blushed a bright red and dropped her voice. "Um… nowhere, to be honest. We haven't really thought about it or, um… had the… chance… I suppose. Why?"

Ginny shrugged, still keeping her eyes focused on the lacy clothing in front of her. "Have you and Harry… um, right….well, I mean, you asked me so obviously -" Hermione whispered trailing off as she stared at her friend.

Ginny glanced up to see Hermione's expression change from shock to curiosity and then to concern all in a matter of seconds. She smiled and said, "No, no we haven't."

"Oh! Well… that's probably best. I mean-"

"I offered."

"What? When?" Hermione asked in a shocked voice.

"On his birthday. Not in so many words, but I told him if he wanted me I was his," Ginny explained.

"And he turned you down?"

"Yes. Well… George came home and the sound of him Apparating broke our… concentration, for lack of a better term," Ginny whispered. "Then Harry just said 'I can't, it's not the right time.'"

"Huh," Hermione said.

"He said he didn't want me to be scared or nervous when it did happen," Ginny went on. She wandered down the aisle and watched Hermione's expression, hoping that she could provide some insight inside Harry's head.

A small smile flickered across Hermione's face. "That's very sweet actually."

"I suppose, but-"

"Were you scared?" Hermione asked, cutting off Ginny's argument.

Ginny paused, allowing the familiar frustrated expression to cross her face briefly before replying, "Yes, I was terrified."

"Then he did the right thing," Hermione said. "Ginny, as impossible as it may seem to you, Harry cares very deeply about you, so you need to believe that."

"I do," she said. "And he knows I love him, I told him that night."

"How did he react?"

Ginny smiled. "He just grinned and thanked me."

Hermione smiled. She knew Harry probably had felt an enormous amount of relief that Ginny had returned his affections.

"But, if he loves me, why wouldn't he want to be with me?" Ginny asked, allowing a flicker of rejection to cross her always confident façade.

"Ginny, I'm sure he does," said Hermione. "But he was putting your feelings and well-being before his own. Harry is very noble-"

"Exasperatingly noble," Ginny muttered.

"Yes, that's true. But in the end that's a benefit to you. You know he'll always put you before himself," Hermione explained with a small grin.

Ginny nodded. She still felt conflicted and confused over everything, but Hermione's words had soothed her and made her consider Harry's position on the matter a little more thoroughly.

"Besides," Hermione continued, interrupting Ginny's train of thought. "He's probably nervous as well. He's never had any… experience… other than kissing as far as I know, and that was only you and Cho. And he doesn't really have anyone to talk to about… that side of relationships."

"I suppose not. He can't talk to Ron because he hasn't got much to go on either," Ginny conceded.

"That, and Ron is your brother," Hermione laughed. "I rather think that Harry values his life too much to go into detail with any of your brothers about what he'd probably like to do to you in the bedroom."

Ginny laughed loudly, causing the store clerk to wander in their direction. "Can I help you ladies with anything?" she asked, glancing from Ginny and Hermione to the lingerie rack.

"Um, no, we're just on our way," Ginny said with a smirk as they wandered out into the street to meet up with Harry and Ron at the Italian restaurant they had eaten at the night before.

The second attempt at removing the Memory charm did little more than exasperate Hermione's increasingly frantic demeanor.

"It's the wand! It's got to be," she exclaimed as they wandered back to the hotel where they were staying and entered their room.

"Hermione –"

"No, Ron, hear me out! Remember Olivander said that the kelpie hair was experimental… maybe it's counteractive with the wood, I'm going to look it up," she explained as she dug through her bag looking for one of her books on magical ingredients and properties.

No one discouraged her, as Ron, Harry and Ginny were glad to let her look through her books the remainder of the evening if it made her feel better.

Ron and Ginny were overly fascinated by the television, much to Harry's amusement. They each jumped when the audience laughed during a typical sitcom and more than one time Ron moved to poke at the screen, expecting the images to respond as they did in magical photographs.

"Ron, it's not happening for real, it's taped and replayed," Harry advised again. Ron shook his head and resumed his seat on the bed.

"Ron, perhaps you'd better move Hermione to her bed," Ginny muttered suddenly from her spot on Harry's lap. Ron turned to see Hermione asleep in her book, one arm hanging limp at her side and the other flat against the table. He scooped her up into his arms and laid her gently into bed, pulling the comforter over her and sitting back down on the bed.

"Do you think it's too late?" Harry asked, looking at Ron and Ginny.

"I'm not sure. When Kingsley visited and Dad talked to that member of the Magical Reversal squad, they both said they didn't think it was. But they did say that the stronger the witch or wizard casting the charm, the longer the effect would take to wear off," Ginny explained quietly.

"They said there was still a good chance it could be done though," Ron added. "Kingsley said that the bond between parents and children is so strong usually that it can break through. But I don't know how long it could take, and he didn't know either. She's going to stay here until it does, I think, even if it means not going back to school."

Ron watched as Harry nodded, looking solemn. "Harry, it's not your fault. She didn't have to do this and, to be honest, they were safer out of the way. Don't blame yourself," he said. Harry nodded again, but Ron knew that his guilt wouldn't be assuaged that quickly.

The next morning Hermione arose with renewed fervor. She dressed and showered quickly, leaving to get breakfast before the rest of the group was up. When they joined her downstairs, she divulged her new plans.

"It's Saturday, so they won't be at work today. Here's what we're going to do: we're going to go to the house, I'm going to cast the Reversal charm again, and then I'm going to walk up to them and tell them I'm looking for my parents. It's got to work; they'll be face to face with me and from what I read last night, usually what breaks the charm is being face to face with the subject," she explained at top speed. "This will be good. This will be the last time and then we can go home once they get packed. Right? Do you all agree?"

Harry and Ginny nodded along with Ron, not wanting to diminish her hopes. It sounded like a good plan, but there were lingering doubts in Ron's mind. Her parents had seen her face to face the other night, and that hadn't worked, but perhaps this was the day for things to change.

For the third time, they approached the house on Archer Lane. Hermione was full of confidence as she walked boldly down the street and approached the tree they had hidden behind the last two times.

Luck, it seemed, was on their side this morning. Mr. and Mrs. Granger were both outside working in the garden. As they turned to talk to one another Hermione raised her wand and without premise or any attempt to hide her voice exclaimed, "Rememorari!" The spell hit the Grangers and they both tottered on their feet and shook their heads looking around. Ron was about to suggest Hermione wait a few minutes when she strode boldly from their hiding spot and across the street into their yard. Ron, Ginny and Harry watched in anticipation as Hermione began to speak with her parents.

"Hello," she said confidently as she strode across the soft green grass. Mr. and Mrs. Granger stood up slowly and smiled at her sudden appearance.

"Hello, dear," Mrs. Granger said. "Is there something we can help you with?"

"Yes, I think there is. My name is Hermione Granger. I'm looking for my parents, Simon and Jean Granger, I was told by someone that you might know them or their whereabouts?" Hermione explained, anxiety creeping into her voice.

Her parents stared at her, looking into her bright brown eyes, and for a moment neither party said anything.

"Simon and Jean," her mother said slowly. "No, I don't know a Simon or a Jean. Are they patients of ours?"

"Um… possibly. Who did you buy this house from?" Hermione asked, trying to draw out the story of how they arrived in Australia.

"We bought it when we got here; there was an older woman moving into a nursing home and it was just perfect for us. It's just us two, we don't have any children. And this couple you're seeking, they're your parents?" Hermione's father asked.

"Yes, I haven't seen them in over a year. There was a war… in Britain, where they used to live, and they left and moved to Australia to escape. I want to find them very badly," Hermione explained, her composure beginning to slip.

"Did they leave you behind?" her mother asked in a scandalous tone.

"No, no… they didn't leave me behind. I was involved; I, um… went to fight. But it's safe now, they can come back and… I just really need to find them," Hermione explained.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry. I don't think we know either of them. Have you checked with Parliament? They keep records of immigration- perhaps they could help you?" Mrs. Granger said, touching Hermione gently on the arm.

"Are you sure you don't remember anyone?" Hermione whispered. 'You don't remember me?"

"Wendell, go get some tissues honey," Mrs. Granger whispered to her husband. Hermione's father turned and walked inside the house. "No honey, I don't. Should I? Have we met?"

"Yes, we have. You've known me for a long time…" Hermione whispered, staring into her mother's brown eyes.

Mrs. Granger paused and tilted her head to the side, narrowing her eyes as she stared into her daughters face. "Oh honey, I don't think you feel well. Here, I'm going to get you some water; wait here please," she said, hugging Hermione gently before stepping inside the house and leaving her standing on the lawn.

Hermione felt Ron's warm hands grip her firmly by the shoulders and gently pull her away while whispering, "C'mon Hermione, let's… we'll come back later, okay?"

She followed, obeying the gently pressure he was applying as he moved her along. Her eyes were unfocused and she heard Harry and Ginny's voices join Ron's as they walked swiftly away from the house.

They hadn't gotten a block away when Hermione broke down, her knees giving out as she collapsed in a heap on the sidewalk. Ron knelt beside her and shushed her gently, whispering consoling words that she couldn't understand through her sobs.

"Hermione we can come back, we can try again tomorrow," Harry said, walking around so he could look at her face. "We're not in a rush; we've got time."

"N-n-no, it's t-t-too late. She… s-s-she looked r-r-right at me, she didn't know me, it's too late," Hermione sobbed into Ron's chest as he hugged her tightly, looking at Harry for a suggestion of what to say, but he had none.

Ginny suddenly turned around, looking wildly from right to left. "Did you hear that?" she asked.

"What?" Harry said moving to her side.

"Someone was yelling, I thought," she said, straining to listen.

Hermione stifled her sobs in Ron's shoulder as she listened vaguely, hoping whatever Ginny was hearing could distract her from the sadness overwhelming her. She had hoped her mother would see her and remember, but the blank look in her eyes confirmed that the charm still had not been reversed. _Well, I'm glad I can do Memory charms so well_, she thought to herself bitterly.

She raised her head and watched Ginny and Harry look around. She felt Ron stand up and follow their glances, looking around for the voice. She definitely heard a faint yelling, but she couldn't tell what they were saying.

"Hermione, I think someone is screaming your name," Ginny suddenly said, starting to walk back to where they came. Harry followed and Ron helped Hermione to her feet so they could as well. They hadn't gotten very far when the voice shouted again.

"HERMIONE?"

Her heart leapt: was that her mother? She walked faster behind Harry and Ginny, matching their steps quickly before breaking into a run and out pacing them. Then a second voice came.

"HERMIONE! Where are you!" It was a man's voice. Hermione ran faster, bolting ahead of Harry, Ginny and Ron as they trailed behind her.

"HERMIONE!" the voices screamed again. She ran faster, rounding the corner to see her mother and father standing in the middle of the street screaming her name.

"Mum? Dad?" she shouted, stopping a few feet from where they stood.

Her parents turned and looked at her, eyes no longer blank, but filled with shock. "Hermione!" her mother screamed as she ran toward her. Hermione closed the distance between them and threw herself into her mother's arms, breaking down into sobs again. She felt herself being pulled towards the grass and they both collapsed onto their knees, still holding one another. Her father's arms were suddenly wrapped around her as well and she curled into their embrace as her tears streamed unrestrained down her cheeks.

"Hermione? Baby? Is it… What happened? I saw you, I just saw you and then you were gone? What happened?" her mother asked, pulling her face back to look at her.

She couldn't speak; her words failed her as she looked into her mother's brown eyes and felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders. She heard Ron's voice come from overhead of them as she clutched her mother to her and pressed her face into her shoulder.

"Mrs. Granger?" Ron's voice said. He sounded apprehensive but relieved.

She felt her mother start slightly at the appearance of three other figures in her yard, but it was her father who spoke. "Ron… it's Ron, right? What on earth? Would someone please tell us what's happening?" he shouted, confusion heavy in his voice.

Through sputtered sentences, Hermione explained what she had done and where she had been. Ron, Harry and Ginny helped fill in the details when she lost focus. Her mother kept her in a tight embrace while her father rubbed her back, but they continued to look from person to person in shock.

"But you're okay?" Mrs. Granger finally asked, taking Hermione's face in her hands and examining her closely. "You're all right? Oh baby, you shouldn't have done that. We would have been fine, there was-"

"Mrs. Granger, trust us, it was better you were gone," Harry interrupted. "I'm sorry it had to be this way, but Hermione was just trying to keep you and herself safe." He didn't want to go into to much detail and overwhelm her, but he knew Hermione's parents needed to understand that their daughter's actions were necessary.

"Oh, Hermione," Mrs. Granger sighed. "I dreamed about you, I remember being confused for months. Oh, what now? We can't stay here; are you done with school? Where will you go? Oh, goodness, I'm so glad you're all safe. Please come in, let's go inside, people will come outside and I don't want them to ask questions I can't answer!" Mrs. Granger said with a small laugh.

She guided them into the house and Ginny asked her where a kettle was so she could make tea. She handed Hermione the first and strongest cup before passing some out to the rest of them.

"Gracious, you all have been through so much, and you're still so young. Oh my, Hermione, I'm so glad you're safe," she kept saying as she hugged and kissed her daughter.

"Hermione, are you sure you're okay?" her father asked again. "I don't even want to think what you went through last year. How long have you been in the city?"

The four of them explained their travel to Australia and the three day process they had gone through, including Harry's visit to Mr. Granger at the office.

"Well that would explain why you look so familiar, right? Or is that because I've met you all before?" he asked with a slight smile on his face.

The hours passed with question after question from Mr. and Mrs. Granger on the war and what had happened to all of them during the last year. Hermione could tell they were relieved and not angry that she was safe and had hidden them as well. Mr. and Mrs. Granger insisted on the quartet relocating to stay at their house. Harry and Ginny left to get their bags and inform Tobey that they had finally had success removing the charm from Hermione's parents. He was delighted at their achievement and offered to stop by to help arrange travel plans for the Granger's return to Britain if they desired.

When Harry and Ginny returned, Mrs. Granger had made them supper and had arranged several sleeping spaces for them all in the small two bedroom house. They discussed plans for returning to Britain and Tobey stopped by to assist. He offered to place a Memory charm on the employees and customers of their dental facility, but Mr. and Mrs. Granger asked him not to. They said they would just talk to them all and explain that they had been called elsewhere and were leaving to return to Britain. Evening came quickly and the Granger's retired to bed along with Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny, who were all sharing the one single room the Granger's had. After a short conversation in which each of them expressed their relief that things had worked out at last, they all fell asleep peacefully on the makeshift beds that the Hermione's parents had made for them.

Ron awoke suddenly, much later than he remembered, a cold sweat clinging to his skin. Glancing at his watch he saw it was three o'clock in the morning. He felt himself shake from head to toe from the nightmare that had plagued his slumber. Trying not to disturb the sleeping figures around him, he slowly got to his feet and exited the small bedroom. He could hear the soft snores coming from Mr. and Mrs. Granger's room as he snuck down the hall and out the front door. Ron ran his hand through his hair, damp with sweat, and tried to marshal his thoughts to more peaceful avenues so he could sleep. This was not done easily however, as the reoccurring nightmare had begun to plague him more and more since Ginny had pointed out that Hermione was unaware of the way he truly felt.

That he loved her more than his own life.

He shut the front door of the house quietly and sat down on the front steps, resting his head in his hands. The night air was cool and soothing on his damp skin, and he pulled off the t-shirt he was wearing and let the breeze hit his upper body. It was peaceful on the street; the stars shone brightly in the sky and the half-moon hung like an ivory tear drop in the sky. A half-moon… so similar to the night they escaped Malfoy Manor.

_No_, Ron thought. _I'm trying to get back to sleep… not wake myself up_. He shook his head violently and stared up at the sky again. It seemed his mind was determined to bring to light the memories he so badly wanted to repress. The memory of that night, one of the worst of his life, and the reoccurring nightmare came crashing down on him like a ton of bricks.

_Ron stood hidden in the doorway watching Bellatrix examine the sword of Gryffindor. Hermione lay directly beneath her feet, her curly hair a mess around her head and her body moving only slightly. Ron held his breath, glancing at Harry every so often, trying to determine the right moment to strike._

_He saw Bellatrix press her finger to the Dark Mark burned into her pale flesh and out of the corner of his eye he saw Harry flinch and press his hand to the scar on his head. Fear welled up inside of him; Voldemort was coming._

"_Greyback, take her if you want her," Bellatrix muttered, indicating the barely stirring Hermione lying on the floor at her feet._

_The thought was too much for him to bear. Ron watched the werewolf smile and eye Hermione with a hungry glance. Before Greyback could move, however, Ron abandoned all pretense as he ran angrily into the drawing room._

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he screamed as he aimed his wand at Bellatrix, who was shocked into a brief moment of confusion by his sudden appearance. That moment of hesitation was all he needed._

"_Expelliarmus!" Ron bellowed. Bellatrix's wand flew into the air in a high arc and was caught by Harry. Ron heard Harry yell "Stupefy!" and watched as Lucius Malfoy fell to the floor Stunned; this was immediately followed by three jets of light which caused Ron to jump out of the way as Harry rolled behind a sofa._

_Jumping around again to face the action, Ron was met with the terrifying sight of Bellatrix lifting a limp Hermione off the ground and pressing a short silver knife to her throat._

"_STOP OR SHE DIES!" Bellatrix screamed in their direction. Ron stood frozen as he took in Hermione's appearance, not lowering his wand._

_Her face was pale and bruised and her body was completely limp, supported only by Bellatrix's arm wrapped around her throat. Eyes closed, lips parted, a slight trickle of blood leaking from the corner of her mouth, and now from a small cut on her neck._

"_All right!" Harry yelled, suddenly dropping his wand. Reluctantly, Ron let his fall to the ground, still unable to take his eyes of Hermione's body. Was she breathing? He watched for any sign; movement of the hair that hung in her face, a twitch of an eyelid or her mouth. But nothing, she remained completely still… Ron's breath froze in his chest; she was unmoving, still… dead._

_A low grinding sound suddenly caught Ron's attention, along with everyone in the room. The chandelier that hung over Bellatrix was swinging slightly and without warning dropped to the floor. Bellatrix screamed and flung he self to the side, dropping Hermione's limp figure which was then covered by broken glass and crystal._

_Ron ran forward toward the wreckage, barely able to see Hermione's body amongst the chains and crystal shards of the ruined chandelier. The sounds of a small battle and the reappearance of Dobby the house-elf were echoing in the distance, but Ron's thoughts could not focus on these trivial things as he worked quickly and carefully to remove Hermione from the wreckage. He pulled her gently into his arms, her face now bloody from the numerous scrapes she had received from the falling chandelier, and he discovered that she was breathing… but only just. Her chest rose and fell shallowly and rapidly and her eyes did not open._

"_Hermione?" Ron whispered._

"_RON!" Harry suddenly screamed, calling his attention back to the present. "Catch…" he said, flinging a wand in his direction. Ron caught it in his outstretched fist as Harry yelled again, "And GO!"_

_Ron lifted Hermione's lifeless body off the floor and spun on the spot, thinking only of Bill and Fleur's cottage on the edge of the sea. The tightness engulfed him; he cared not if he splinched himself from being too focused on Hermione's well-being. His only objective was to get away from there and make sure she was okay._

_He fell with a thud on the shores of the sea, cradling her body gently as he could against him. Pushing her hair out of her face, Ron stared into the unresponsive visage of Hermione Granger: best friend of Harry Potter and himself, smartest girl in his year at Hogwarts, sensitive, loyal, brave and kind… the girl he loved._

"_Hermione!" Ron yelled, shaking her slightly. She didn't move, and her head lolled from side to side as he shook her. "HERMIONE, NO!!! HERMIONE!"_

"_Ron?" _

_The call came as a question and Ron wheeled around to see Bill, Fleur, Luna and Dean running out to him._

"_Help!" he yelled as he lifted Hermione into the air and began to run toward the cottage._

"_What 'as 'appened to 'er?" Fleur asked in a panic. Ron didn't respond, just rushed Hermione into the cottage and laid her gently on the couch. _

"_Bill… do something!" Ron pleaded, looking at his oldest brother. Bill moved to his side and pointed his wand at Hermione's chest muttering "Ennervate". _

_Hermione didn't move; she remained still and unresponsive. Ron pressed his hands to her face, her forehead, her neck, feeling a faint pulse as he did so. "Hermione, please! Don't leave me!" he shouted, shaking her roughly._

_Without warning, her eyes opened wide and she shrieked a scream of utter terror and pain. She arched her back and began to flail wildly, swinging her hands at an invisible attacker. _

"_STOP! PLEASE STOP!" Hermione screeched, her eyes open, seeing, but not aware of her new surroundings._

"_Hermione!" Ron yelled, seizing her hands by the wrists and pressing the weight of his body on top of hers slightly to stop her thrashing. "Hermione, shhhh… it's all right! You're okay, you're safe now… shhh…" he muttered quietly against her ear._

_Hermione struggled against Ron's grasp for only a moment before freezing, her muscles still tensed and ready to defend herself. Her breath came in ragged shaky pants, and Ron watched her eyes flicker back and forth around the room, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. He slowly felt her relax as her eyes met his, which were wide and teary._

"_HELP!"_

_The voice came screaming from outside causing them all to jump violently. Ron whirled his head around to look out the window. "Harry!" he shouted._

_Bill, Fleur, Dean and Luna raced outside as Ron moved to stand to see what was happening, but paused as Hermione grasped the front of his shirt and held on to him tightly._

"_He needs our help," she breathed quietly, trying to sit up. Ron pushed her shoulder down as he glanced out the window and saw the others standing around what appeared to be Harry crouching on the ground. _

"_He's okay, Hermione," Ron muttered. "I'm not sure what's going on, but he's all right. You need to stay here, please lay back down," he said, pushing against her shoulders gently again as she tried to sit up. _

_Hermione reached up and grasped his hand. "Please stay with me," she whispered, putting his hand against her pale, bruised face._

_Ron smiled gently as he stroked her hair. "I will, I promise."_

"Ron?"

Ron wheeled around and jumped slightly as Hermione's soft voice suddenly spoke from beside him. She stood in a tank top and sweatpants, wrapped in a blanket; her hair tied back in a long pony tail that hung to the side.

"Is everything okay, Ron?" she asked, sitting down beside him and placing her warm, soft hand on his bare shoulder.

"Yeah… yeah, I just couldn't sleep," he mumbled thickly.

"Are you sure? You look pale- are you sick?" asked Hermione as she peered around, looking at his face. She brought her other hand to his cheek and he felt her wipe away a tear that had escaped his eyes.

He caught her hand as she began to withdraw it from his face, holding it against his now cool skin. She smiled gently and moved closer to him, throwing part of the blanket around his bare shoulders.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you," Ron whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

She smiled gently and placed her other hand along his check, gently tickling his neck with her small fingers. "Ron-"

"I have been in love with you for so long… and I was too thick to realize it," Ron blurted out, interrupting her thoughts. "Even before last year, before Lavender, before the Yule Ball, I don't know how long it's been. Apparently I'm not as quick and clever as I'd like to think I am," he said, chuckling slightly. "But I love you, with everything inside me."

Tears stung at the corners of Hermione's eyes as she listened to Ron confess his feelings, picturing inside her head his teaspoon range of emotions suddenly overflowing. She pressed her lips to his forehead. "I love you Ron, I have always loved you."

"Always?" he asked thickly.

"Yes, always. It's always been you I wanted, never anyone else," she whispered before pressing her lips to his cheek.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why me? Why not Krum? Why not… anyone else? Someone who wouldn't have waited seven years to confess to you how he felt," he mumbled, dropping his head.

"That's exactly why, Ron," she said, pulling his face back to meet hers. "Because you waited seven years to tell me. Because you put me in my place when I need it, because you're loyal, and kind, and silly and… I feel safe with you. You look out for me and you always have, even when I didn't realize it. I know you feel like you're not good enough so often, but you've always been exactly what I-"

Her sentence was interrupted suddenly by Ron's lips pressing against hers fiercely. She sighed deeply and parted her own lips as his mouth pressed against hers and his tongue traced its way over her lips. Her hands slid down the sides of his neck, over his broad shoulders, and down his chest. Ron's hands grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into his lap before wrapping his arms around her tightly. They continued to kiss deeply; the built up passion they had both buried for so long being expressed in a mesh of lips and tongues, fingers against skin, and deep sighs from them both.

Hermione was fascinated by the feel of Ron's bare skin beneath her hands. She traced the lines of his chest and stomach with her slender fingers, causing him to shudder and lean his head back. Her lips pressed against the skin of his neck as she inhaled deeply, breathing in the clean, woodsy smell of his skin. She moved along his neck, planting delicate kisses along the way until she reached his ears where, in a moment of sheer bravery and lust, she gently nibbled on his ear lobe.

Ron's whole body tensed as he felt her teeth graze the skin of his ear and shivers raced down his spine. His hands gripped her hips tightly and pulled her close to him before turning his head to return the affection by kissing the side of her neck.

Their lips reconnected again in a moment of passionate kissing. Ron slid his hands over Hermione's stomach and slowly up the front of her chest, pausing to allow his fingers to trace over the curves of her breasts. His hands tangled in her hair as she slid even closer to him and moved her hands down his chest and stomach, gently tracing along the line of his jeans, shocking herself with her own daring.

Ron groaned audibly as he felt her fingers along the line of his jeans. Emboldened by her sudden exploration of his body, he gently moved the blanket aside and slid the straps of her tank top down her shoulders. She sighed and leaned her head back as his lips pressed against the front of her neck, down her breast bone and gently to the edge of her tank top. Ron gently tried to nuzzle the material of her shirt aside with his lips, his eyes open wide, anxious to see the curve of her chest if she would allow.

"Ron," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I'm not sure here is the place."

He lifted his eyes to her instantaneously, moving his hands quickly down her back. "I'm sorry… I just… I-"

"There's nothing to be sorry for," she smiled, pressing her lips against his. "I just… didn't want to get too carried away on my mum and dad's front doorstep."

Ron nodded, understanding both her hesitancy, and that this was not the time nor the place for such adventures. But he smiled suddenly and looked up at her, kissing the edge of her jaw. "From your statement, it sounds like you'd plan on getting "carried away" at some point, am I right?" he asked with a grin.

She smiled and chuckled lightly. "Yes, at some point I wouldn't mind getting "carried away" with you, but not tonight."

"Well, I'll hold onto my thoughts then," he teased, pressing his lips to the skin of her neck before standing up, still holding on to her waist.

Hermione smiled and watched as Ron put his t-shirt back on and took her hand, leading her back into the house. They walked quietly up the stairs and into the hallway that led to the spare bedrooms.

The sleeping bag Hermione occupied was open and she crawled into the open covers pulling him along with her. Ron smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, cradling her head against his chest as she gently traced her fingers along his shoulder.

"I love you, Hermione," he whispered into her hair.

A rush of joy flooded his mind as he felt her lips smile against his skin. "I love you too, Ron." With those words he closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.


	14. Changes

Changes

"Apple of My Eye" Doloris O'Riordan

* * *

"Is it really him?"

"I think it's him!"

"Harry Potter?"

"Oh, it's Harry Potter!"

"And that's Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger!"

Ginny scowled as she pushed her cart toward the luggage compartment of the Hogwarts Express; Hermione followed quickly in her footsteps, her head bowed and face flushed. The crowd of people pushed around all sides of them as they loaded their luggage.

"It _IS_ Harry Potter!"

"Harry!"

"Oh, in the name of Merlin!" Ginny spat under her breath. "I'm going to have to call him something different; I 'm beginning to hate the sound of his name!"

"I honestly don't think he'd mind that much," Hermione commented as they glanced over at Harry's figure straining its way through the mass of gawking spectators that surrounded him. Ron seemed torn between amusement and terror; the crowd of people closed in on the two of them as they attempted to join the girls by the train.

As Hermione and Ginny watched, several girls in the group tossed their hair and batted their eyes at Harry and Ron. Ginny rolled her eyes and Hermione scoffed at the abrasiveness the girls were showing in their attempts to get attention from the pair of boys.

Neither Harry nor Ron thought much of it either; they both cringed away from the advancing girls and practically ran over toward the train once as there was a break in the crowd. As soon as Harry lifted Ginny's trunk onto the train, he reached out and pulled her against him in a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair and inhaling deeply.

Ginny smiled gently, the tension she was feeling a second ago leaving her body as she wrapped her arms around him. "That bad?"

"I don't want to hear my name again…ever," Harry muttered.

"I was saying the same thing. What should I call you then?" Ginny laughed.

"How about Neville?"

"I'll bet he's getting a similar reaction when he's in Wizarding public," Ginny explained. "It won't always be like this; it's not like this at the Ministry. It's just because it's the train station and the excitement of school and everything."

"I suppose," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Cute girls," Ginny teased.

"Cute like a pack of pixies," Harry scoffed. Ginny laughed and hugged him tightly again, stretching up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.

Harry lifted her off the ground slightly and breathed in her flowery scent. "I miss you already."

"It'll be Christmas before you know it," she said gently.

"It's Hermione's birthday in two weeks so we'll be in Hogsmeade then," Harry said.

"That will be enjoyable," Ginny whispered before pressing her lips against his.

Harry kissed her back with much more enthusiasm than she had expected. She smiled against his lips as he continued to kiss her and hold her closely, the gasps and groans of the surrounding mass of female students making her giggle slightly.

"Something funny?" Harry asked, pulling away from her slightly.

"No, nothing at all," Ginny said with a smile before kissing him again and listening to the noise of the crowd fade away.

*******

"If they didn't get the idea that Harry's already taken, they definitely have that impression now," Hermione laughed as she watched Harry and Ginny kiss passionately down the platform from where she and Ron stood. Ron nodded before shaking his head. There were still whispers and fingers pointing in his and Hermione's direction, but it didn't bother him as much now that they weren't crowding around him.

"You will write to me, won't you?" Hermione asked, turning back to him with a trace of sadness in her eyes.

"I will, Hermione, I promise," Ron said, lacing his fingers through hers.

"I've heard that before," she responded skeptically.

"I will write. We've got Deacon, and you guys have got Pig, so I won't have the issue of not having an owl to deliver my messages."

Hermione nodded with a small smile. "And I'll talk to McGonagall, to see if she will hook up Grimmauld Place to the fireplace that I'll have."

The train whistle blew loudly, and Hermione sighed. Ron pulled her close to him and hugged her tightly, running his hands through her curls. "I will write, I promise. And if the network gets hooked up, I'll come visit every night if you want," he whispered into her neck.

Hermione grinned. "Well, not every night. But that would be nice sometimes."

Ron smiled before kissing her softly. Hermione gently pulled his face closer to hers and ran her fingers through his hair. The kiss lasted several moments, both of them ignoring the snickers that were passing by them as students boarded the train.

The whistle blew again and Ginny was suddenly pulling on Hermione's robes as she stepped onto the train. "This was your idea, Hermione! Don't miss your train," she teased as she stepped up and onto the train.

"She never lets us have any peace," Ron scoffed.

"I should go," Hermione muttered sadly.

"You don't have to," Ron reminded her.

"Yes, I do. I will be upset at myself if I don't. I will see you soon, okay?" she said, kissing him one more time.

"Sooner than you think," Ron replied.

Hermione smiled and stepped onto the platform, joining Ginny in the adjoining compartment and sticking her head out the window.

"Behave yourselves!" Ginny yelled out to Harry and Ron as she blew kisses and waved. The train rolled to a start and began to move away. Hermione and Ginny both watched as the platform grew smaller and smaller, until the figures of Harry and Ron finally faded into the distance.

The train was rowdy; students running up and down the hallway, first years gawking at their older class mates. Hermione sighed loudly as she settled in her seat.

"Regretting this?" Ginny asked quietly.

Hermione shook her head. "No, not yet. You?"

"I'm looking forward to Quidditch, but the rest I could live without," she admitted. Hermione chuckled.

Their conversation was cut short by the appearance of Ernie Macmillan at their compartment door. "Hello Hermione, Ginny! Good Holiday?"

"Hi Ernie," Hermione responded. "It was nice I suppose." Ginny nodded in agreement. "I suppose it's time for the Prefects meeting with the Heads, right?" Hermione asked.

Ernie nodded enthusiastically. "Do you know who the other prefects are? I haven't heard yet," he added. "Ginny, were you one for Gryffindor?"

"Not I. Quidditch captain, though," she said with a smile.

"That's good! You'll have another good team then," Ernie nodded. "Shall we head on then, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded as she got to her feet. "I'll see you in a bit, right?" she said to Ginny as she walked out the door.

"I'll be here," Ginny said with a grin.

Hermione smiled and walked down the hall with Ernie towards the front of the train. Their short conversation turned quickly to Ron and his activities since the war. Hermione tried to keep a smile, but it felt very unfamiliar to walk the path to the Head's compartment with Ernie by her side instead of Ron.

When they arrived in the Head's compartment Hermione glanced around at the other students present. Dennis Creevey was sitting next to Natalie McDonald representing Gryffindor, while Lauren Madley and Kevin Whitby represented Hufflepuff. To her pleasure Hermione noticed Luna Lovegood as the prefect for Ravenclaw alongside Jeremy Stretton. Still looking around for the fourth house, she saw the familiar green Slytherin robes on a pale girl with black hair whom she did not recognize. When asked her name by Ernie the girl responded that she was Tracey Davis. Hermione's eyes narrowed quizzically; where was the second prefect for Slytherin?

Answering her unspoken question, the door opened and she turned around, unashamedly allowing a gasp to escape her lips as the pale-faced figure of Draco Malfoy entered into the room and sat down in the corner.

Hermione followed Malfoy with her eyes, finding that he was thin still but seemed taller. His silvery blond hair hung in his eyes, and his skin was just as pallid as ever. There was a difference in his posture however. He seemed to slope his shoulders slightly instead of his usual arrogant strut. And rather than openly rolling his eyes as Ernie began the meeting, he was attentive and watched with interested eyes. Every so often, the grey eyes would flicker and meet Hermione's. She did not look away.

Ernie began by taking attendance and explaining the rules and expectations for the prefects Hogwarts had appointed. Hermione vaguely heard what he was saying as she stared at Draco sitting unashamedly on the train. What was he doing here? She remembered Harry had mentioned his parents turning themselves in on the condition that he could return to school. Why would he want to though? Even she noticed the other students glaring in his direction; it had to be uncomfortable to return to somewhere where he would be ridiculed for certain.

"Hermione? Do you have anything to add?" Ernie asked, breaking through her thoughts.

"Oh! Um yes…um…Well after the events of last year, I'm sure that the professors will want any reports of dark activity as usual. We're all still recovering, I think, so keep in mind the younger students who may have questions and add that to your duties as well." She nodded her head slowly, glancing around at all of them, but lingering on Malfoy's pale grey eyes. The students slowly nodded in response.

"Good point," Ernie said, nodding. "That's it, unless any of you have questions? If so, seek Hermione or myself out, we'll be glad to help. Thanks for coming." With that he stood and opened the door, allowing them all to exit.

Hermione smiled slightly at Ernie before excusing herself and walking quickly towards her and Ginny's compartment. She saw Luna's figure up ahead waving and smiling as she approached, but was stopped short by someone calling her name.

"Granger!"

Hermione stopped dead in her tracks; she turned slowly and found herself facing Malfoy as he walked down the hall. Her eyes widened in shock as he approached her.

"How are you?" he asked quietly, pausing about two feet away from her and staring deeply into her eyes.

"Um…fine?" Hermione responded quizzically; his stare made her uncomfortable. "Do you have a question?"

"No, I just um…I just wanted to see how you were," Malfoy said, dropping his eyes.

"Right," Hermione said skeptically. "Well, if you don't need anything then, I'll just be on my way," she explained as she turned over her shoulder and began to walk away.

"I'm sorry."

Hermione stopped, her back turned on Malfoy as he uttered the unfamiliar words. She wondered if he'd ever said them before.

"Granger? I am sorry," he said again.

"Um…right. Thank you," Hermione muttered over her shoulder.

"See you around?"

"I…guess," she muttered, turning slightly in his direction.

Malfoy smiled, not the evil vindictive smile she was used to, but a nervous smile she had never seen before. He turned and walked away from her.

"That was … odd," Luna observed, sounding slightly amused.

"That's an understatement," Hermione agreed. It was not like Luna to describe anything as odd, so Hermione figured what had just happened was even stranger than it felt.

The two girls walked back to the compartment where Ginny sat reading through the Harpies book Harry had given her for her birthday. She glanced up with a smile as they entered the room.

"Hello Luna!" she greeted with a large smile. "How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you. How was the rest of your summer?"

"Good! Yours?"

"It was nice to be home again; Dad and I didn't do much."

"I'll bet…Hermione? Are you okay?" Ginny asked, turning her attention to her friend's still figure. "You look like you've just seen someone come back from the dead."

"She kind of did," Luna added. "Draco Malfoy talked to her in the hallway."

"Malfoy?" Ginny asked in a skeptical tone.

"He apologized to her," Luna explained in her whimsical tone of voice.

Ginny stared at Hermione's face. "Did this happen? Hermione, talk!"

Hermione cleared her throat and confirmed Luna's observation. She relayed the short exchange between her and the boy who had caused so much trouble for her friends all through the years, not quite believing the story even as she told it.

"I bet his parents put him up to it. Apologize; make it look like they're sorry about everything. Just like they did after Voldemort fell the first time," Ginny scoffed. "Don't let it bother you, Hermione."

"It's not, it was just…odd. It was so out of character for him, even if his parents did put him up to it." Hermione shook her head in confusion as Ginny nodded, both of them glancing out the door curiously at the passersby.

Malfoy's odd behavior didn't come up for discussion again, as the conversation between the girls soon turned to their class schedules and plans for what they would do after this last year. Hermione's eyes widened and Ginny laughed as Luna detailed her plans to travel to Spain and other Eastern countries in search of another Crumple Horned Sknorkack. Ginny tossed out the idea of trying out for a professional Quidditch team, and Hermione drew a blank when they asked her of her plans for a career. The remainder of the train ride was uneventful, but seemed lacking without the presence of Ron and Harry to keep them amused.

Darkness fell and they arrived at Hogwarts mid evening, the moon just beginning to shine brightly overhead. Hagrid's cheery face smiled upon them as he called the first years to their boats. The three girls began to walk toward the carriages chatting quietly about nothing in particular. They kept a quick pace until, without warning, Hermione and Ginny stopped in their tracks, their gazes transfixed on the carriages awaiting them.

Luna paused looking back at her friends curiously. "Oh I suppose that's right, you've never seen them before, have you?" she commented, taking in their shocked faces.

Ginny swallowed, her gaze falling upon the appearance of black, skeletal horses that were hitched to the carriages. Though she had ridden one to the Ministry three years previously, what she saw now was not the image she had stored in her head. "No, we haven't," said Ginny. "And something tells me we're not the only ones."

Hermione glanced around her and saw that they were not alone as they stood gawking at the now visible Thestrals. Ernie had come to a stop a few feet behind where she and Ginny stood, along with Malfoy, the Patil twins, and numerous other students who were just as shocked at the appearance of the reptilian horses.

"The carriages are ready, what seems to be the hold up here?"

Professor Slughorn had wandered up behind the crowd looking irritable until he realized what they were all staring at.

"Ah…yes, I see. Well, they aren't anything to be afraid of. Professor McGonagall will explain at dinner. Come along now, let's go," he said gently as he began to shunt the crowd forward into lines for carriages.

"All right there Ms. Granger? You look a bit pale," Slughorn commented as he moved beside Hermione and Ginny.

"I'm fine, Professor, thank you," Hermione said quietly as she shook herself out of her stupor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Ginny wipe away a tear from her cheek and shake her head before moving forward to climb into the carriage. Hermione and Luna followed silently and shut the door behind them. The carriage shook as the Thestrals moved forward and on the way to the castle.

As they walked through the door, the buzz from the students grew louder. The portraits were repaired and put back into place, walls clean and sparkling, and there was nothing out of the ordinary to suggest that such travesty had occurred only a few months previously. Hermione and Ginny bid Luna farewell as they walked across the hall to the Gryffindor table. Ginny glanced nervously at Hermione as whispers broke out at the tables they passed.

"I suppose now we know how Harry felt for six years," Ginny said under her breath, making Hermione laugh lightly.

They took their seats at the table and found themselves facing a number of familiar faces, much to their relief. Seamus Finnigan had returned for his final year, as had Dean Thomas, though their other three den mates were now absent. Lavender Brown had returned as well, much to the delight of Parvati, and Ginny's roommates had also returned. The only major absences from Gryffindor that Hermione and Ginny really noticed were Harry, Ron and Neville. The rest of the student body seemed to be in place and excited to be back in the familiar dining room.

"May I have your attention?"

Professor McGonagall stepped up to the podium and gazed around at the crowd of students who fell silent at her appearance. She set the tattered and now singed Sorting Hat on its stool and after it sung its new song (one which mentioned new beginnings and new connections between the Houses), she called off the list of new students to be Sorted.

After the list was finished and each new first year had taken their place at the House tables, McGonagall smiled gently as she spoke.

"I am pleased to see our new students and pleased to see our old ones back. I know that the events of last year are imprinted into your memory and perhaps still cause some of you fear. But fear not, for nothing has changed. Rules are still rules, classes are still classes, and you will still be allowed dinner before we get into too many announcements, so enjoy," she said as food appeared suddenly on all of the plates. The students dug in enthusiastically as noise returned to the hall.

Hermione felt lost in her own head as she picked at her plate. Things inside the castle hadn't changed, nothing in the order of events had changed... the only major change was that she felt empty. There was no drama, so she should feel at peace, but she felt hollow inside. The reason was simple to identify, but thinking of it made it the empty feeling expand in her chest.

She glanced around at her fellow students and observed their behavior. Ginny was laughing, but not as exuberantly as she had been in previous years. Parvati and Lavender had their heads close together giggling over some unheard gossip, she assumed. Seamus and Dean were rambunctious. Nearly Headless Nick floated idly by the table introducing himself to new students. Everything was the same.

Except there was no Ron, shoveling food into his mouth while she watched in disgust. No quick witted commentary on the events of the day from him and Harry, which always made her laugh. No one to tease her about the massive amount of course work she had signed up for, no one to put her in her place when her bossiness got out of control, no blue eyes to look into, no happy smile that had always made her feel at home, no one –

"Hermione? Are you listening to me?" Ginny's voice suddenly exclaimed, jerking Hermione out of her increasingly depressing thoughts.

"What? Yes… Okay, no I wasn't listening to you at all. I'm sorry, Ginny, can you start again?"

Ginny narrowed her eyes and said, "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm okay."

"You shouldn't have come back."

"Why? I need to finish my studies! I still have no idea what I want to do for a living; it was very important to come back!" Hermione exclaimed in a scandalized tone.

"Well you look like you're drowning in sorrow. I'm not that bad of company, am I?" Ginny teased.

Hermione laughed lightly. "No, Ginny, you're not bad company at all. Now, what were you saying?"

Ginny's eyes flickered across the hall. "I was wondering when you plan on hexing Malfoy for staring at you?"

"What?" Hermione asked, glancing up.

The first sight she met was Malfoy's grey eyes scrutinizing her curiously from across the hall. She scowled in his direction and turned back to Ginny. "What on Earth is that all about?"

"You've got me, but he's been staring since the meal started. What did he say to you in the hallway?" Ginny asked, turning her gaze back to Malfoy and glaring in his direction. He dropped his eyes and resumed eating under her gaze.

"Nothing, he just apologized. I'm not sure what for, but that was about it. Well, I'm not going to bother with it. To be honest, I preferred his bullying to this; it's a bit creepy for some reason," Hermione admitted, lifting her eyes back to the front of the room.

"That's an understatement," Ginny observed quietly. The girls stopped talking as McGonagall stepped back up to the podium and began to speak.

"For starters, I'd like to introduce several new staff members to our school. I will still be your primary Transfiguration professor, but joining me will be Professor Juliette Hoyle, who will assume the position after this year," McGonagall explained as she gestured to a small blonde witch on the opposite side of Hagrid. "Muggle Studies will resume and will be taught by Professor Maria Langley," she continued, indicating a young witch to her right with long auburn hair. "And lastly, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor will be Gideon Lansing, who is also Head of the Auror Office."

The students clapped at the new introductions as Ginny and Hermione exchanged a curious glance. "Isn't that Harry's boss?" Hermione asked in a low whisper.

"Yes, I remember Harry mentioning something about Kingsley and him sharing the job of office head, but he never mentioned anything about him teaching," Ginny whispered back.

"I wonder if they had trouble finding someone."

"Could be, I'll see if I can get it out of him when I write him tonight," Ginny said quietly as McGonagall started to speak again.

"…know some of you were a little startled when you were boarding the carriages. I don't think any of us thought about the smaller consequences of the battle on you all. Nevertheless, you will now notice that the carriages do not pull themselves. For those of you who can see them, the creatures pulling the carriages are called Thestrals. They are harmless creatures who reside in the forest and do some general work for us when we need them. They are only visible to those who have seen death, as unfortunately, many of you did last year. Professor Hagrid will be detailing more information about them during a few Care of Magical Creatures sessions for those who are interested. As it is, I do not want you to be frightened of their presence should you see them," she explained to the quiet room.

"Classes will begin tomorrow at 8:00 sharp. First years, if you have trouble finding the rooms on the maps you have been provided please see your prefects or Heads of House for directions. During free periods you will be allowed access to the Library, but otherwise you are to remain in your house Common Rooms and not wander the halls. Quidditch tryouts will be held in two weeks; announcements will be made about times for each house. As always, no magic in the halls between classes, the full list of banned items is posted on Mr. Filch's door, and if you have questions please ask your fellow house mates, prefects, or our Head Boy and Head Girl," McGonagall added.

"But for now, let us head to our dormitories and get a good night's rest for tomorrow's classes. First years follow the prefects of your house, and all of you, have a good night," McGonagall said as she stepped down from the podium.

Ginny and Hermione followed the crowd up to their dormitory, saying a quick good night as Hermione headed up to the tallest room in the tower to her Head room and Ginny strayed into her dormitory.

Hermione shut the door behind her and sat down on her bed and stared around at the room she was given for being Head Girl. Her trunk and other possessions were laid out neatly in the corner and there was a large bathroom adjacent to the entrance door. The room was lit with a plethora of candles and the large window toward the west gave her a spectacular view of the lake and the forest beyond. The walls were a pale gold with red Gryffindor hangings throughout, and her bed was large and had a canopy overhead that made her feel cozy. Though she felt this preferable than to sharing a room, the loneliness she felt earlier began to sink into her chest.

Hermione sighed deeply and shook her head as she remembered Ginny's words from earlier and her observation that perhaps she shouldn't have come back. Maybe she didn't really need to, but she did, and she was here now, so the best thing she could do would be to swallow the emptiness and replace it with her studies and other activities. Hermione reminded herself that the holidays were not that far off, and she would see Ron, Harry, her parents, and the rest of the Weasley's at that time.

With those thoughts in mind, she crawled into her pajamas and began to flip through her Advanced Transfiguration book. She had just gotten to the chapter discussing human to animal transfiguration when there was a knock on her door.

Surprised by her visitor and the late hour, she rose cautiously and opened the door just slightly. Her eyes widened as she took in Ginny's small figure standing outside, pillow and blanket in hand.

"Ginny? Are you okay?"

"Can I stay with you? I can't be in that dormitory," she whispered quietly.

"Of course…did something happen?" Hermione asked as she opened the door wider to allow Ginny entrance.

"Nothing specific, I just don't want to deal with all the questions tonight…or for the next few weeks for that matter," she said as she glanced around the room. "Wow, this is fancy."

"What questions are you being asked?" Hermione said as she shut the door and leaned against it.

"Oh the typical, 'How's George? Ron? Your parents?' Then, of course, we move to Harry. 'Are you two together? Why didn't he come back? Is he serious about you? He can't be if he's working and you're still in school,' 'what kind of a kisser is he?' and on and on... It's just driving me mad, and I'd like to sleep," Ginny explained. Her voice sounded exasperated as she sighed deeply.

Hermione smiled and said, "The hazards of dating the savior of the world I suppose. " She waved her wand and conjured a makeshift bed for Ginny near the East wall. "I'm guessing at some point I will be interrogated as well, but for now let's just get some sleep."


	15. Strange Behaviour

Strange Behavior

"Warning Sign" Coldplay

* * *

Two weeks passed at Hogwarts and for the most part, life for Hermione and Ginny was pleasantly calm, a welcome change from the past years of questions without answers and dramatic events happening at every turn.

However, several new and unfamiliar activities became an unwelcome part of their daily routines.

For Ginny, it was the snide whispers and fingers pointing in her direction every time the mail came. "Another letter for you, Weasley? Hasn't he forgotten you yet?" Romilda Vane kept pressing with a gaggle of girls that seemed to follow her lead. To Hermione's delight and pride, Ginny had raised her nose in the air and refused to be bothered by their statements.

"I want to hex her so badly, but I'm trying to be bigger than that," she muttered to Hermione later.

"You know they're just jealous; you're doing the right thing," Hermione assured her. "If all else fails, if she shows up to Quidditch tryouts, knock her off her broom on purpose."

Ginny snorted a laugh. "Hermione! Such fiendish behavior, and you're Head Girl," she teased.

But Romilda Vane didn't show up for Quidditch try outs. Those who did show up seemed unconcerned with Ginny's romantic involvements and more interested in playing, which pleased her greatly. She ended up with a team composed of both new and old faces. Dean Thomas returned as Chaser, along with herself and Demelza Robbins. Jimmy Peakes returned as a beater, but Ritchie Coot was beaten out by Seamus Finnigan, who joined the team for the first time. Surprising everyone, Dennis Creevy out flew the competition to become the team's new Seeker. Overall, Ginny was pleased at the team she had been given to work with and set up practice for every Thursday evening.

Aside from the joy she felt over Quidditch resuming, Ginny too found herself facing an unfamiliar loneliness. She had the few female friends she'd had in years past: Hermione and Luna, along with her roommates Korrie Matthews and Ophelia Greene, but even they were full of questions about Harry that tired and exasperated her.

And made her miss him even more than his daily letters.

One always arrived for her, even if it was only a few lines, and she looked forward to Pig returning each day with a new letter in Harry's untidy handwriting.

"_Ginny,_

_I didn't know Lansing was teaching either, he only mentioned it to us on the first day of classes. He Apparates back and forth and he keeps himself so busy I don't know how he sleeps."_

_Don't let Seamus push you around, he has some pretty wild ideas on Quidditch and you're a much better player than he'll ever be, so stand your ground - not that you'll have a problem with that."_

"_I managed to shatter all the dishes in the house yesterday practicing an advanced shield charm Tim taught me. Kreacher wasn't pleased, but he fixed it right away. Ron and George found it hysterical."_

"_Is she mad? There's not even a comparison between you and Romilda Vane. You haven't tried to use a love potion on me, have you? Just kidding, you wouldn't need one anyway,"_

Ginny was pleased by the amusing anecdotes Harry provided to her, but pleased even more by the closings of his letters.

"_If your bracelet feels warm, it's because I am thinking about you all the time and I tend to play with the ring. If you ever need me, you know what to do."_

It was true the charm bracelet he had given her did feel warm and tingly on her wrist frequently, and though several girls told her she should feel smothered, she felt comforted by the sensations.

Along with Harry's letters came letters from Ron to Hermione, who remained shocked at his frequent writing. Ron's notes were full of stories from the joke shop, wishes that he was back at Hogwarts, and teasing about Hermione's tyranny as Head Girl. She smiled as she read the letters, and wrote back frequently telling him of her daily activities.

She wasn't being a tyrant; she actually found the Head Girl role much less exhausting than being a Prefect had been. She met with the Prefects once a week to get updates, corrected a few of them on procedures, and helped organize events for Halloween and Christmas.

These meetings and a few of her classes put her in frequent contact with Draco Malfoy, which in the past would have been an unbearably unpleasant thing, but had now become confusing and odd.

Defense Against The Dark Arts class was the start of what she felt were awkward and uncomfortable exchanges between the two of them. She had walked into the dungeon on the first day of classes to find Professor Lansing greeting Ginny enthusiastically.

"Ginny Weasley? You'll be Harry's girl, right? I recognize you from the pictures, though they don't do you justice," he said, shaking her hand before turning on Hermione with a broad smile.

"And you'll be Hermione Granger then? Yes, Harry has got a few pictures of you and his flat mate up on his desk as well. Nice to meet you both finally," he said, shaking her hand as well.

Hermione and Ginny had sat down and began to talk about what they would be studying when Malfoy seated himself at the table adjacent to them.

"Hey Granger, you've read through the book right?" he said, turning his whole body to face Hermione and leaning in toward her.

Hermione cringed away slightly. "Yes, I have."

"I didn't understand the part about the shield advancements. Snape explained it last year, but not as in-depth as this book goes. Can you help me?" he asked in a polite tone.

Hermione's eyes widened as she leaned back further in shock. "Um…let's get through the lessons, if you're still having trouble I'm sure that Lansing can offer you some assistance," she muttered quietly.

"Oh…all right," he said quietly.

That was the first out of character incident; to her dismay, more followed on an increasingly regular basis.

"Hey Granger!" Malfoy's voice rang out as she walked toward the Library. "Did you get that Potions assignment done?"

Hermione nodded as she continued on her way.

"I got a little confused about the combination of moonstone and figweed used in the insanity reliever. Was that hard for you?"

"Um, no, but I can see how it would be. It's very temperamental and you have to wait until the figweed is fully matured before you can even attempt it," she explained, still not turning to face him.

Malfoy matched his steps to hers. "That's what I thought, but wouldn't it be better to use moonstone and newt's leaf? It takes less time to brew that way and if you need an instantaneous potion that would be the better route, I thought."

Hermione stopped in her tracks and glanced up at Malfoy. His face was relaxed, not vindictive, not snide or full of snarky comments, but peaceful. "I suppose that would be a better solution, yes, but I didn't delve into that, I just stuck with the basics."

Malfoy laughed gently. "You always do, that's okay. I just wanted your opinion. See you around, okay?" he asked in a hopeful tone.

"I suppose…"

With that Malfoy turned on his tail and walked away. Hermione shook her head and continued on her way, confusion crowding her already hassled mind.

These chance encounters continued, growing in frequency until, by October, a day couldn't pass by without Hermione having a short conversation with Malfoy. She found his behavior strange, but didn't worry about it, much to Ginny's consternation.

"He's not being rude or cruel, so I suppose I have to respond to him. I mean, I'm not engaging him- he's engaging me," she tried to explain.

"Yes, but it's Malfoy! He's up to something, and it's just weird. Have you told Ron?"

"No, no, no, are you crazy?" Hermione asked. "He'd go nuts, it's absolutely nothing but you know how he gets jealous. I don't even like the conversations; I'm just doing it to be nice."

"That's true. But I don't know, it's weird, Hermione," Ginny commented before resuming her essay on Counter Curses for Malevolent Spells.

Saturday the nineteenth of September arrived and Hermione woke up to see a pile of presents at the foot of her bed. She grinned as she approached and began to sort through the pile. Her parents had sent her some new clothing to wear on the weekends along with a new set of scales. She smiled as she read the card from her mother telling her about how Mrs. Weasley had helped them pick them out from a shop in Diagon Alley. She had also received some snacks and a hand knitted scarf from Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, a new cloak from Harry and Ginny, and a package from Ron. His contained a set of books entitled _The History of House Elves_ _and Establishment of Wizarding Creature Laws_ which she gushed over to thin air for five minutes. There was also an envelope without a name included in the pile. She opened it and out came a small note that was written in unfamiliar handwriting.

"_Common Room will need some Supervision. You'll need to come down as soon as you're dressed." _

She cocked her head to the side curiously, wondering who the note was from and what it meant. She pulled her hair into a plait before tying her robe around her and proceeding downstairs. Much to her surprise, as soon as she stepped into the hallway the noise level grew much louder. How on earth was she supposed to keep an eye on things if her room was that sound proof? She descended the stairs in a slightly grumpy manner and emerged into the Common Room.

"Now really, its-"she started to say but she froze at the sight that greeted her. Before her voice had returned the crowd of people screamed "SURPRISE!!!"

Hermione's mouth opened in shock. The room was filled with balloons and breakfast food on trays, and a "Happy Birthday" banner was strung over the fireplace. Ginny was laughing loudly, and Luna stood serenely out of place among the red and gold clad colors of the room. But what caught her eye was the presence of three figures she had not expected in the slightest.

Neville stood next to the couch, a broad smile on his chubby face. Beside him, Ginny was standing on the couch cushions with her arms wrapped around Harry's neck as they both laughed at her shock. And in front, red-haired, freckled, and grinning widely, was Ron.

She raised her hands to her mouth as they shouted "Happy Birthday Hermione!" and waited for her to speak. When it was apparent that she wasn't going to, Ron stepped forward and grasped her arms gently by the wrists.

"Breathe, Hermione. It's just us," he chuckled.

"But how?"

"Wrote to McGonagall and we came over early this morning. She let us in because we didn't know the password. We figured your birthday was mostly ignored for seven years, so hopefully this makes up for it," Harry explained with a grin. Ginny obviously had no clue of their plans either, and her face was flushed with excitement as she clung to his neck.

"Did you get my note? I suppose it wasn't really mine, I had George write it so you wouldn't recognize the handwriting," Ron explained. Before she could form a response, Hermione's emotions overtook her and she threw herself into Ron's arms, kissing him passionately.

Ron staggered backward under her sudden weight before he was able to catch himself and stand back up straight. The room at large snickered at her sudden outburst and she pulled herself out of his arms and stepped back, blood flooding into her already flushed cheeks.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ron, I'm just so over whelmed," she explained breathlessly.

"Don't apologize, that was brilliant" he said with a laugh as he hugged her tightly again. Everyone began to dig into the cinnamon rolls, eggs, and toast that had been brought up from the kitchens. Hermione kept glancing around at all the decorations, completely shocked that she hadn't picked up on something earlier.

"Of course I didn't let on we were planning anything! It's much easier to keep a secret when I have to think what to write," Ron explained as he put his arm around her.

"They didn't even tell me, Hermione. I could have helped you!" Ginny said, nudging Harry gently.

"You would have let something slip," Ron said.

"I can keep a secret!" she exclaimed before flicking egg at him.

The morning went by quickly; they all sat among the couches and chairs eating rolls and toast and chatting about the events of the past few weeks at Hogwarts. Parvati and Lavender came down and wished Hermione a Happy Birthday upon seeing the banners before heading out into the castle.

"Lavender seemed to handle that well," Hermione observed. The first night back she had observed her former roommate glaring at her and whispering to Parvati about what she was sure was her and Ron's relationship. But today she had been pleasant and cheerful, no gossipy whispers or ill behavior towards either Ron or Hermione.

"She's been dating Ambrose Mohr from my house since the second or third day back," Luna explained in an offhand tone.

"Really?" Ginny asked.

"Yes, I think it was during Care of Magical Creatures they met. Hagrid's had to separate them multiple times in class. It's rather funny actually."

"Huh," Ginny mused. "Well at least we know her taste went down after you Ron, which should make you feel good."

"Speaking of taste in people, what is this about Malfoy harassing you left and right?" Harry asked.

Hermione glowered. "Ginny, I thought you could keep secrets."

"I didn't say anything! Did I Harry?" she exclaimed.

"No, I actually heard it from Lansing. He said he just asks you question after question in his class and that it's amusing to watch your reactions," Harry explained. "But seriously, what does he want?"

"From what I can gather, he wants help on his homework, or whatever. I'm not sure really, but he isn't _bothering_ me to horribly … I mean he's polite and he's not calling me names or whatever so It's not really hurting anything, I suppose," Hermione explained, glancing at Ron nervously.

"Well if it changes, don't put up with it," Ron said. "Slimy git, what's he playing at anyway?"

"He fancies you," Luna said, not looking up from the crossword puzzle she was now working on.

"What?" five voices resounded at her observation. She glanced up curiously.

"Well, it's obvious that's what's going on. He was mean to you for so many years, and I think he was just trying to fight his feelings down. Now that it's okay for him to fancy you, he's trying to get your attention," she explained matter-of-factly.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," Hermione said unashamedly. "Sorry Luna, but Malfoy can't possibly-"

"It's possible, but very unlikely," Ginny interrupted.

"Oh come off it! He was always so foul to me…to all of us!"

"Well, Ron wasn't always the nicest to you either," Neville observed.

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed in defense. "I was nice! I've never been mean to you or-"

"Yes, you were mean to her sometimes, Ron. Remember going out with Lavender just to make her jealous? Or torturing her over Scabber's apparent death? Or during fourth year when Krum asked her to the ball and you didn't and you were mad at her because of it?" Ginny pointed out.

"Well…I…er…okay, I'll give you those," Ron acquiesced. "But I was never mean like Malfoy was."

"No, you weren't. And this is just ridiculous anyway; Malfoy does not suddenly have a crush on me, end of discussion," Hermione stated flatly. "Anyone fancy a walk? It's so nice out."

"I actually have to get going Hermione, I'm still trying to find a job," Neville explained as he stood up. "But I wanted to come and say hi, I miss you guys. It feels strange not being at Hogwarts."

"Neville, mate, you should just come down to the Auror office. I can see what we can do for you, we're still looking for people," Harry explained.

"I dunno, Harry. I'm not really cut out-"

"Stop it, Neville," Ginny said. "Just go down on Monday, see what happens." Hermione nodded in encouragement.

"I'm game for a walk," Ron said, jumping up. "Let's go. Shall we catch up with you guys later?"

"We'll be back around dinner. Harry and I are going to go play Quidditch with the team for a while," Ginny explained with a grin.

"I have to work on my essay for Slughorn, but Happy Birthday, Hermione. I made you some plum cake with some of Daddy's Dirigible plums- should I just leave it with you?" Luna asked.

"Er…sure that sounds great, thank you Luna," Hermione stuttered as Ron masked his sudden laugh with a loud cough. They both remembered the plums they had seen at Luna's house and decided to just keep the cake in a nice gesture.

Hermione hugged Neville and Luna and thanked them for the surprise before jogging upstairs to change and setting off on her walk with Ron. They wandered down the familiar front steps and out into the sunny air. For September the weather was unusually warm, and both she and Ron had discarded their jumpers in favor of t-shirts that they wore underneath. As they walked, Ron filled her in on news of the shop, George's growing relationship with Angelina Johnson, and the many other antics that the three boys had gotten up to since she and Ginny had been gone.

"I bet its loads more exciting here though," said Ron when he ran out of stories to tell.

"It's been very calm, almost like normal life," she laughed. "Classes are harder obviously, but Ginny and I are keeping up. But other than that, no drama, no evil lurking in the halls, it's been … the same, but different I guess," she tried to explain.

"Different because there's no evil lurking?"

"No, different because I don't have you and Harry to keep me amused and on my toes, or in trouble," she teased. "It's nice that it's calmer, but it feels strange to be back. It's hard too, it's almost like the battle lingers in the walls. When I have to help out with nightly rounds I always drag Ginny or someone else with me- it's just creepy at night and it never used to be that way."

Ron nodded. "I'm sure something like all that does linger. Have you been to McGonagall's office to see the portraits?"

"No, I haven't. Perhaps Harry might want to, I'm not sure. I don't really feel like I belong there," she added. "But enough about that and all that's going on here. Have you talked to George about becoming a partner in the shop?"

"I have, and I am pretty much, we just need to sign the forms," Ron said quietly.

"Well that's good news!"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Is it not what you want?"

Ron sighed. "For now it's fine, but I really want to join the Auror office. I'm just scared to walk in there and ask for a job. Harry keeps telling me I should, but I don't know. I don't think I've got the stuff for it. He comes home and talks about all these charms and counter curses, and he's gotten so good at non-verbal incantations I can't even try to prank him anymore. I still haven't gotten all that figured out," he confessed.

"I'm sure it's because he's doing it every day that he's gotten a lot better with it," Hermione explained as they stopped by the lake under the shade of a large tree. She gently tugged Ron onto the ground and sat down beside him, snuggling into his arms as he leaned against the tree. "If you were doing it every day you would get better too. That's all it is, practice."

"I guess, I'll figure it out eventually," Ron added as he began to run his fingers through Hermione's curls.

They sat for a few minutes in silence, just listening to the sounds around them. They were so far away from the castle they couldn't hear the voices of other students anymore; it felt nice to them both to be alone.

"I wanted to get you something else, but I … I'm still trying to pick it out," Ron said as he stuttered. He had wanted to get her a bracelet similar to Ginny's, but hadn't been able to afford it. He'd flat out refused to accept a small loan from Harry. It frustrated him that even though he was saving every penny he made it still wasn't adding up fast enough to get everything he wanted.

"I loved that book you got me, thank you very much by the way. But you didn't need to get me anything. I'm fine, I don't need much, you know that." she assured him. "Besides, you should save the money for yourself. Or, buy a new sweater," She teased as she pulled a strand of thread out of the sleeve of his old jumper.

Ron sighed as she held up the maroon colored thread. As she balled it up and moved to toss it to the side, he was suddenly hit by a wave of inspiration.

"Hold on, let me see that," he said snatching it out of her hand and sitting up suddenly. Hermione pushed herself back to a sitting position and stared at him curiously.

"I just remembered something my mum told me about a while back," he said as he pulled out his wand. He broke the thread into two pieces and placed one on the back of his left hand. "Here, hold out your hand," he said to Hermione. She did as she was instructed, holding her left hand out, fingers extended and palm facing down.

Ron placed the thread along her fingers before pulling out his wand and whispering a quiet incantation. Hermione watched as the thread weaved its way through all of her fingers before wrapping itself into a neat circle around her third finger, the tread on Ron's hand making the same motion. Ron whispered another incantation and the ends of the thread seemed to fuse together so it was one continuous strand.

"There, that should do it." Ron said proudly. "It's an old wizarding version of an attachment ring, like what Harry gave Ginny," he explained taking in her silence as she stared at the string around her finger. "I suppose I should have asked before I just did that, but I thought this was something simple for us. Do you like it?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Hermione nodded as she stared at the strand of thread around her ring finger. It reminded her of the Muggle concept of a promise ring, but she didn't mention it so as not to frighten Ron. "Thank you," she whispered quietly.

Ron leaned forward, placing his hand against the side of her cheek. He moved closer and softly kissed her. Hermione sighed as she leaned in closer to him and pressed her hands against his chest before running them up along the sides of his neck and tangling her fingers in his hair. Hermione leaned back slowly, moving her arms behind her to support herself as Ron came with her, still kissing her between her increasingly shallow breaths. She lowered herself to her elbows and finally onto her back as Ron's hand cradled the back of her head before gently laying it against the cool grass and allowing his body to rest on top of hers.

Almost instinctually, Hermione bent one of her knees and hitched her leg around the side of Ron's hip, pulling him closer to her. The kiss they shared was gentle, but was starting to deepen as their lips parted and they began to become braver, letting their tongues explore each other's mouths. Hermione wrapped her arm around Ron's neck as his hand trailed down the side of her body, over her hip and down the leg she had wrapped partly around him. Even through her clothing, he could feel the heat emanating from her skin and the quivers that began to rush through her body. Emboldened by his success with the spell, and her increasingly fierce kisses, he felt a sudden confidence emerge inside him. He moved his lips down across her jaw and into the space behind her ear. She sighed deeply and tipped her head back, arching her back up to allow him more access to her throat.

Hermione shuddered as the heat of Ron's breath and lips moved along her neck and across her collarbones. His hands seemed to shake slightly as he gently traced the lines of her body, but she didn't stop him, it felt too good. So long had she imagined him holding her and kissing her and, though she would never admit it out loud, touching her the way he was doing right now. With an almost inaudible moan, she pulled his lips back to hers and kissed him fiercely, pulling him tightly against her. She felt his hands tug on the edges of the shirt she wore and his fingers gently trace along the edge of her jeans before sliding their way up her stomach and over her chest.

Ron's hands shook with anticipation as he pressed his lips back to Hermione's again and trailed his fingers underneath her shirt and along the smooth skin of her stomach. She wasn't stopping him, and chose to arch her body up to meet his hands as he traveled further up. Not wanting to appear too anxious, he tried to slow his movements as he gently cupped the edge of her breast and ran the pad of his thumb along the peaked point he felt underneath the fabric of her bra. Her sigh into his mouth made him shudder as he repeated the movement. She moved her leg up higher around his hip and pulled him against her, the movement of her body against his making him groan aloud as she moved her lips to his neck and behind his ears.

Her soft lips against the skin of his neck were driving him mad, and the warmth of her breath on his skin acted like a stimulant as he gently moved both hands to the bottom of her t-shirt and pushed it up before moving down to kiss her again. Her tongue traced along the line of his lips as he pressed his body against hers, feeling the warmth of the bare skin of her stomach against his shirt. He moved his lips down her jaw, across her neck and then suddenly slid down to her belly button and pressed them against her stomach. Hermione gasped audibly when she felt him inhale against her skin; her toes twitched inside her trainers as he slowly moved up her body with his kisses and allowed his hands to trace the contours of her breasts gently. She felt him press his lips to the soft skin at the top of her chest before he pulled down the cup of her bra on one side. Pausing only to gaze for a moment at the bare skin, enveloped her nipple gently in his mouth.

Ron heard Hermione gasp again as he instinctively flicked his tongue across the dusky, pink skin he had so often fantasized about. The sight of her exposed breast was almost a relief, better than he imagined. He focused his efforts on one side before gently pulling the cup down on the other side and moving his mouth over. He allowed his other hand to cup the bare skin of her breast and gently stroked the soft tissue with the pad of his thumb. Flicking his eyes up to her face, he was rewarded with the sight of Hermione with her eyes closed, lips parted in pleasure, and her beautiful brown hair spilling out around her.

Lost in the sensation, she allowed him to continue to kiss and touch the areas of her body that had so often been the focus of her unacknowledged fantasies until it was almost too much for her to take. Her breath was shallow, she was becoming dizzy, and sensations that she had never experienced before were racing through her core. The feelings coursing through her were intense and frightening all at the same time. Fighting against her own desire and trying to keep her head, she pulled Ron's face back to hers and gently kissed him, lacing her fingers through his hands and pulling them away slightly. He sighed into her mouth as he lifted his body slightly to allow her to readjust her clothing. She tried to pull away to apologize but found herself being wrapped in his arms and rolled onto her side as he kissed her passionately.

The kiss lasted for several more minutes before he finally allowed her to free herself. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against his, breathing deeply and biting her lip. "I'm sorry, I just … I got –"

"What are you apologizing for? That was brilliant, that was … did I do something wrong?" he suddenly asked, a concerned look in his eyes.

"No, no. You did everything right actually," she explained blushing. "I just didn't think this was the –"

"Place to get carried away," he finished for her with a grin. "Got it, no problem. But wow … wow," he muttered, his ears and face turning red. "Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?"

"Stop," she whispered, blushing furiously.

"I can't, you are… amazingly beautiful," he whispered, pressing his lips to her forehead.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered into his neck.

"I love you, Hermione, I love you," Ron said against her skin.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him gently. "I love you Ron, like I said… I always have."

Ron gently stroked her hair before kissing her again quickly, then jumping to his feet. He reached out his hand to help Hermione up, and when she was standing, wrapped his arm around her waist.

"I suppose we ought to get back, it's nearly supper time and I know you've got studying to do," he sighed quietly as he began to walk back to the castle with her by his side.

"Are you leaving tonight?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"I've got nothing important to get back for, so I was planning on staying if you'd like."

Hermione grinned broadly. "Yes, please. I don't have much to do tonight and it'd be wonderful to spend the evening with you."

"Your birthday, your wish," he grinned back, squeezing her gently.

As they walked they began to discuss the classes Hermione was taking and possible careers she could pursue after she was finished with this school year. They had just gotten back to the castle when they noticed a pale, blonde haired figure heading into the Great Hall just ahead of them.

As he turned and noticed Hermione following, Malfoy paused and broke into a smile. But the smile slowly faded from his face. The look that replaced it was not one of anger, it was disappointment. Hermione felt Ron stiffen at her side and she stopped walking to allow Malfoy to pass ahead of them.

"Evening, Granger, having a good weekend?" Malfoy muttered quietly.

Ron's arm tightened around Hermione's waist as she responded quietly. "Yes…"

"That's nice, see you in class," he said before moving on and seating himself at the Slytherin dining table.

Hermione shook her head in confusion and pulled Ron into the hall. She looked at his face as they sat down at the end of the table; his cheeks were flushed red and his eyes were angry. "Ron? Ron, it's nothing…I don't know what he's doing, but it's nothing to worry about," she assured him as she laced his fingers into his.

Ron swallowed and turned his eyes on her. "Luna's right."

"No she is not, that's just-"

"No, Hermione, it's not crazy. He fancies you," Ron said darkly as he turned away and stared across the hall at Malfoy's pale eyes, which were watching observantly as Ron lifted Hermione's hand and kissed the strand of thread around her finger.


	16. The Fall

The Fall

"God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" Coldplay

* * *

Ron's observation of Luna's theory was not to be tested while he was at Hogwarts, much to his annoyance. The remainder of the weekend they saw nothing of Malfoy, and Sunday when he and Harry left to walk to Hogsmeade to apparate home, Hermione had forced him to put the concern out of his mind.

"Ron, even if he does suddenly have this stupid infatuation with me, which he doesn't, what does it matter anyway?" she said, gripping the front of his robes and kissing him lightly. "I'd rather cut off my wand arm than to have anything to do with him."

Ron smiled and wrapped his arms around Hermione gently, returning her kiss. She pulled him closer to her and inhaled his scent, deepening the kiss with an unrestrained passion that she hadn't felt before yesterday. Their mouths lingered against one another's for a lengthy time until the voices of Harry and Ginny came floating into their ears.

"I'm so glad we didn't run into her earlier. She's such a… a…"

"Manipulative, conniving, maniacal cow?"

Ginny smiled. "That's exactly what I was thinking. She's got some nerve though; I mean I was right there! And there she is, 'Oh Harry, next time you visit I'll have to show you the new hangings on the window in your old dorm.' How would she know what's up there anyway?"

"I'm sure it wouldn't take much to convince Seamus to take her up there. I'm not surprised she said something. You remember she tried to use that love potion on me," Harry said, shuddering.

"Maybe I'll have to mention something else to keep her jealous. I'll tell her in addition to the Horntail you have on your chest you've now got a Manticore tattooed on your-"

"Before you go any further, can I have a guess at who you're talking about?" Hermione piped up.

"It shouldn't take you much thought," Ginny muttered.

"Romilda?"

"Who else?"

"Has she been bad all year?" Harry asked, wrapping his arm around Ginny's shoulders.

"Not bad, she just makes all these snide little comments about how you're only with me out of pity or how you will definitely move on after you've 'gotten a little from me'. Nothing I can't handle," Ginny assured him.

"Well, I don't plan on moving on and I want to eventually get a lot from you, so you can tell her that," Harry muttered under his breath.

Ginny laughed and Ron cringed. "Can you just rein it in, Harry?"

"Hark who's talking! Weren't you two out by the lake yesterday? Awfully private out there," Harry teased, watching Hermione and Ron both blush bright red.

"We'd better get going," Ron muttered as he hugged Hermione again. He gave her another kiss, closing his eyes and blocking out all other sensations except the feeling of Hermione's lips against his as Ginny and Harry said their goodbyes.

They were on their way fifteen minutes later, waving to the girls as they wandered away from the castle and out the gates.

"Glad to see nothing has changed there much," Ron said to Harry as they walked back.

"Nothing and everything. I didn't realize how hard it would be to come back and have to leave again," he added, glancing behind them.

"Yeah, me either. I think we spent so much time constantly looking for stuff to get into that we never appreciated just how easy life was," Ron said thoughtfully.

"Yeah… though I much prefer working with Tim and Lansing than listening to Binns or even Slughorn blather on about stuff," Harry laughed.

"Too right about that," Ron added.

They apparated back to the walkway in front of number 12 Grimmauld Place, glad to be home and yet sad to be away from all they had known for so long.

"So do you think Neville will show up at the Auror office?" Ron asked Harry as he sat down on one of the couches and fiddled with the string on his finger.

"I dunno. It'd be great if he did! We just need more people there; with me in training so often it leaves us shorthanded for other stuff. Plus I'm going to start going on missions with Tim soon and I'd just like to have someone else along who's at the same level I am," Harry explained. "When are you going to come down?"

Ron shifted in his seat. "I dunno, I don't think I'm cut out for-"

"Oh, come off it!" Harry interrupted. "You know you are! Not that I want you to abandon George, but the shop is going great! You can always help out if he needs you. Seriously, you'd be great, and you always talked about wanting to be an Auror," he reminded him.

Ron nodded. "We'll see. I'll give it 'til after Christmas. See how far George and Angelina are along- he was talking about hiring her on as a manager last week. I told him he shouldn't mix business and pleasure," Ron said with a grin while Harry laughed loudly.

******

The remainder of Sunday passed uneventfully for Hermione and Ginny. Monday morning came, and Hermione headed to her Advanced Arithmancy, the only class where Ginny wasn't present to keep her company. When the hour was over, she descended the steps from the tower to head to Potions but was suddenly stopped in her tracks by Malfoy waiting for her at the bottom of the steps.

"Hey Granger, how's Monday?" he asked cheerfully.

Hermione narrowed her eyes as she glanced at him. "It's fine. Malfoy, do you need help with something?"

He frowned. "Do you always need to call me Malfoy? I do have a first name, you know," he added.

Hermione's eyes widened. "Did you, or did you not, just call me Granger? The same can be said for me," she reminded him as she began to walk away.

He smiled slightly, and he followed her, quickly matching her pace. "Point taken. Can we start again? How's your day going, Hermione?"

It took all her determination not to stop and look at him in shock. Taking a deep breath she replied, "It's fine, _Draco_…how is yours?"

"Good," he responded. "I heard it was your birthday on Saturday."

"It was," she replied cautiously.

"You didn't tell me."

"You didn't ask. Why does it matter?"

Draco stepped in front of her, cutting off her path. "Well, I made you something; sorry it's late," he explained, reaching into the pocket of his robes.

Hermione stepped back away from him. Draco pulled out of his pocket a folded piece of paper. Pointing his wand at it, he muttered something and the paper folded up into an origami butterfly which took flight and landed gently on Hermione's shoulder.

Draco smiled as he admired his handiwork. "It's not much, but I thought you'd find it interesting after what we learned in Transfiguration. It's the same concept McGonagall talked about: inanimate objects having life and personality."

"Can you explain something to me?"

Draco's smile fell as he nodded, observing Hermione's suspicious glare.

"For seven years, Draco, seven years… you have bullied me, insulted me, called me all sorts of names, badmouthed and tortured my friends, attempted to get us expelled, almost killed us several times…and, of course, let's not forget what your aunt put me through last year at your house. And now-"

Draco cut her off, a disgusted expression crossing his features. "Bellatrix may have been my aunt by blood, but she was _not_ my family. My mother was disgusted by what she did and-"

"Your mother was disgusted? Really? Why did you all stand there and watch if it was so disgusting?" Hermione shot back, her own temper flaring up. "But enough of that, we don't need to rehash the hell you put my friends and I through. Explain this… change of heart you've suddenly had."

Malfoy sighed deeply, allowing his face to relax. "First off, last year do you think we had a choice but to stand there? Do you think Bellatrix would have let us stop her?"

"Wow, you're all so brave. Three against one; your odds were terrible," Hermione replied bitterly.

"There was more than one, Greyback was there and he would have helped. But my point is, we were trapped, under threat of death and torture. It was terrifying having Him in our house; terrifying all the time to think that-"

"Don't talk about _terrifying_ to me," Hermione spat. "_Terrifying_ is having that damn snake of Voldemort's –" Draco flinched, "-attack your best friend while you stand there almost helpless. _Terrifying_ is having Voldemort enter a house you are in, and you escape by jumping out of a window and Disapparating in midair. Terrifying is escaping Gringotts on the back of a bloody dragon! Terrifying is having Fenrir Greyback breathing down your neck, talking about how soft your skin is!" she shouted, her temper getting the best of her. She inhaled deeply, her nostrils flaring and brushed her hair out of her face. Calming herself down by taking slow breaths, she glared back into Malfoy's grey eyes. "Back to your change of heart: explain it."

Malfoy held up his hands up to Hermione in a submissive gesture. "After the war ended, and we were home, I sat down and examined all those beliefs; that Pure-bloods were better than everyone and that we deserved to rule Muggles. I talked to my parents about it, and there was still a lingering belief there in them, but they had had enough of the fighting as well. After I thought about that, it changed my mind, and I realized we weren't exempt from the terror and horror of the war just because of our blood status. I realized that I was jealous. Jealous because you were smarter than me, and Potter and Weasley got more attention than I did. And when I saw you on the train, I decided that the only thing I could do to try to make amends was show you I was sorry. I am sorry, Hermione. I regret my actions, I really do," he explained, dropping his head and staring at his trainers.

Hermione shook her head, her eyes wide with shock. She began to walk away towards the Potions dungeon. Draco followed her slowly.

"Obviously, I understand that it's probably hard for you to believe all this. But it's the truth. I'm sorry for what happened to you last year, and all the names I called you, and all the hell I put you through for so long. I really am," he muttered quietly as he followed.

Hermione sighed and said, "I still don't understand… jealousy caused you to be so mean? Jealousy over what? What did Harry and Ron have that you don't? What do I have that you don't?"

"Freedom. Attention. Potter was a hero, Weasley had … well anyway, I'm over it now. I really am, and I'm sorry," Draco said again.

Hermione sighed as she thought of his words and shook her head. "I know sometimes that we're forced to puppet our parent's beliefs," she said, thinking of Seamus' antagonism toward Harry in their fifth year. "So, for now, consider your apology accepted, Draco. And thank you for the butterfly," she muttered, still walking toward the dungeon without looking at him. Inside, she thought perhaps if she just agreed with him, he'd leave her alone.

Draco smiled broadly as they reached the door. "You're welcome, I'm glad you like it. So…friends?" he asked, extending his hand.

Hermione raised one eyebrow and sighed as she extended her hand. "Friends. But Draco, you'll need to apologize to _my_ friends as well."

"Oh I will, when I see them again," he assured her, gripping her hand tightly before smiling and turning to step inside the dungeon.

Hermione waited outside the door for Ginny, pondering the exchange that had just taken place. She decided to only tell Ginny the bare minimum of details about her and Draco's conversation. It made her uncomfortable to think about calling him her "friend". Though it was much more pleasant to have him be kind to her instead of rude and thoughtless all the time, it still made her wary. Draco was a Slytherin through and through, and his admission that the only reason he was so foul to her was that he jealous made her wary. She knew that he was notorious for using any means to get to the desired end. She couldn't help feeling that there was some end that Draco Malfoy was trying to get to, and she was sure that she didn't want to be involved in whatever it was.

*****

"He said what?" Ginny screeched, dropping her spoon and fork and slamming her hands against the table.

"Shh!" Hermione hissed at her as she glanced around at the sudden looks they were getting. "Will you calm down? He said he was sorry for everything that he did to me. He said he just wanted to show me he meant it, and that's why he's been so nice!"

"That is … that's-"

"Strange, I know, but-"

"Hermione, it's crazy! He's not sorry, he's just…I don't even know what he's doing."

"You don't think there's any possibility he's sorry?"

"He's sorry that his whole family looks like a bunch of stupid prats for following Voldemort all that time, but he's not a damn bit sorry about the way he treated you, or Harry, or my family," she said, lowering her voice. "Lucius Malfoy is probably still walking around the Ministry every now and then trying to make amends with people. Yes, they both turned themselves in, so to speak, so Draco could go to school, but why haven't they been sent to Azkaban? And I know for a fact that he hasn't done anything to apologize to Dad, or been nice to him at all."

"I understand that, but I can't just be mean and cruel to him, it's-"

"Why not? He was horrible to you three all those years- why not return the favor?" Ginny suggested.

"Because it's not right. Until he does something that proves he's just after … whatever that is that he's seeking, I'm going to be nice to him and that's that. I would feel bad, and it's a bad example to set," Hermione explained, picking up her silverware and resuming eating.

"It's all because he fancies you now; he's just trying to make himself look like the good guy so when he wants to strike he's hoping you'll consider him," Ginny said darkly.

It was Hermione's turn to slam her hands against the table. "That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard," she said, struggling to keep her voice down. "First off, why would he have a crush on me? I'm Muggle-born, and despite what he says about overcoming his prejudices, I don't think he'd ever consider dating someone who wasn't pure blood. Secondly, he's not stupid; he saw Ron and me walking arm in arm together on Saturday. He's an idiot if he can't put that together. And three, even if he did it wouldn't matter how nice he was to me, there is no way I'd ever consider…ugh, just the thought of being in that family. No, absolutely crazy," Hermione finished with a shudder.

"You and Ron really are perfect for each other, you know that? You both don't think anything of yourself when it comes to attractiveness or anything like that," Ginny said, shaking her head.

"Ginny-"

"Krum didn't fancy anyone else, did he? Nope, even at Bill's and Fleur's wedding he was still pining for you. And McLaggin, what about him? Yes, he was a complete git," she said, chuckling at Hermione's disgusted expression. "But he still had a thing for you, and that was just after one 'date'. And of course, let's not forget my brother. 'Hermione…so pretty…so-'"

"Oh, shut up, Ginny," Hermione said, blushing and laughing. "You have a point, but still, it's just ridiculous. Ron didn't really say that in his sleep, did he?" she asked with a low chuckle.

*******

The next few months passed quickly. Although Harry spent numerous hours trying to persuade them both, neither Ron nor Neville showed up at his office to apply for a job. It was not that Harry was lonely at work; Tim, Lansing, Sabrina and Proudfoot were all great company and the visits from Kingsley kept him motivated to keep going. But the daily activities were not the same without Ron. Harry realized just how much of a stimulant his friend had been to his problem solving abilities over the years. He'd been someone to bounce ideas and thoughts off of who would either put him in his place or help him muster his courage. He hadn't gone on many missions, but on the few outings he'd been on with Tim to interrogate Ministry employees and investigate possible Death Eater sightings, Harry missed Ron for his wit, sarcasm, and bravery in those situations.

November came, and the air grew colder; every few days a light dusting of snow would fall, only to disappear the next. Ginny's letter's describing the Gryffindor team's Quidditch practices and first win of the season made Harry long for Quidditch almost as much as he longed to have Ginny's lips against his. Her running commentary of daily activities (Hermione's stress over her N.E.W.T's, Ginny's relaxed attitude, Slughorn's continued teasing, Lansing's quirky lectures) kept him smiling every time he read the letters. His replies were sent off with Deacon every other day or so, and by the end of the day the owl usually returned with a reply in her familiar handwriting.

This particular morning, however, the owl didn't return to Grimmauld Place but caught up with Harry as he was just about to walk through the Ministry entrance.

"Deacon?" Harry said quizzically when the owl swooped low and landed on his shoulder. "You're late- is everything all right?" Harry asked, reaching up to pet the feathers on the owl's stomach.

Deacon nipped his finger playfully and held out his leg to offer Harry the attached letter. It was a thin piece of paper, no envelope, and with a shock Harry saw not Ginny's familiar handwriting, but Sabrina's on the small note.

"_Don't go to the office. Apparate to Colton Square, we're making an arrest. – SL"_

"She must have caught you at Grimmauld Place, then?" Harry asked as he folded up the note. Deacon nestled his head against Harry's, a strange habit the owl had developed when he was in agreement with Harry's observations. "No letter from Ginny?"

The owl hooted reassuringly and fluttered his wings slightly. "It's at home then?" Harry asked. Deacon bowed his head and nestled into Harry's hair.

"Good, well I'll see you later, head on home," Harry said, ruffling the owl's feathers. He paused to watch him fly away into the horizon before turning on the spot and apparating to Colton Square to meet up with Sabrina.

When Harry was relinquished from the pressing darkness, he glanced around and saw Sabrina's thin frame leaning up against a light post reading a piece of paper and looking anxious. Her dark hair swayed in the breeze as she read and she look up until Harry was right next to her.

"Harry, good, you got my note then," she said, folding the piece of paper and tucking it away in her pocket. "I stopped by your house, but no one was there and then your owl turned up and landed right in front of me. It worked out well," she commented.

"Right, he has a tendency to turn up at the just the right moment, I've noticed," Harry said with a grin. "So what's the story?"

"Kingsley finally gave us the okay to bring in Umbridge. He caught me just as I was leaving yesterday and said to bring her in as soon as we could for questioning," she explained, gesturing him forward as they began to walk across the square.

Harry nodded. It had been months since he looked at the original warrant for Dolores Umbridge's arrest. Kingsley had mentioned that they would be gathering sufficient evidence before moving against any Senior Ministry employees to make sure they acted of their own free will rather than under the Imperius Curse. "So I gather that Kingsley found the evidence he was looking for?"

"I expect so, and I thought we'd go ahead and bring her in rather than wait for him to come with us," she explained as she pulled out her wand. "He's so busy with the Law Reduction Task Force that it would have probably been weeks before he was free."

Harry nodded, narrowing his eyes a little as they walked. Sabrina was advantageous, and she seemed eager to prove herself just as capable as any of the others in the office, though no one doubted her. Harry had seen her hold her own in several mock duels with Tim and Kingsley both, and he knew she was quite the prowess when it came to counter-curses. He vaguely wondered if maybe she was overstepping her boundaries, but didn't put much thought to it as they approached a residential area.

"You'll want your wand out Harry, easy to grab, just in case," she warned him as they approached a small house just outside the square.

Harry cringed; the house was a lurid pink with grey trim and lavender shutters. Several bushes of pink roses grew outside the grey fence and the door frame was decorated with roses etched into the paint. He fought the urge to laugh as Sabrina knocked on the door, thinking of the irony of the situation he was in at the moment.

Dolores Umbridge opened the door slightly, staring out with her beady eyes at the pair of them standing on the doorstep. Her slack mouth widened into a mocking grin as she opened the door wider. She folded her hands and let them fall in front of her as she appraised both Sabrina and Harry.

"I don't suppose I should invite you in, as I highly doubt this is a social visit. Am I correct in my assumption, Ms. Lutz?" she sighed in a snarky tone of voice.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge," Sabrina said, and her voice rang with an authority Harry had never heard before. "By order of the Minister of Magic, you are to come with us for questioning regarding several charges you have pending against you. You can come quietly and we'll Apparate to the Ministry, where by which you will-"

"Yes, yes, yes, Ms. Lutz. I know the laws, and I daresay that _you've_ become much more familiar with them," Umbridge said, cutting Sabrina off in her explanation. She closed the door behind her, not bothering to grab a cloak though the day was chilly. "Shall we?" she said, gesturing them forward. Sabrina nodded and stepped off the staircase to allow Umbridge to step down and onto the sidewalk.

Harry stepped away, moving to follow behind the two women. Umbridge fell into step behind Sabrina as she led the way. Surprised by the ease in which the arrest had taken place, Harry stowed his wand back in his pocket and pulled his cloak tighter around him. As he glanced around Sabrina at the square, it happened.

There was a small flurry of movement and Harry saw Umbridge turn, her wand being drawn from the pocket of her robes. Instinctively, he dove into the rose bushes as he heard two voices cry out _"STUPIFY!"_ Harry tried to untangle himself from the thorny branches and saw two flashes of light shoot over his head; there was then a heavy thud against the pavement. Next thing he knew, stubby fingers covered in rings had grabbed his hair and pulled him onto the sidewalk.

"Idiot boy, I assumed that Kingsley had at least checked to make sure you'd grown up a bit before he placed you in that office," Umbridge hissed as she pushed him away from her roughly. Harry jumped to his feet, wand drawn, and cried "_STUPIFY_!"

Umbridge parried the curse with a flick of her wrist and moved forward toward him. He raised his wand again as he stepped back but tripped over the unconscious body of Sabrina lying on the sidewalk.

"It's interesting that they send the two most inexperienced Aurors to arrest me, as if they don't know what I'm capable of," she observed in a casual voice, advancing on him still.

Umbridge stood over him with a mocking but sickly sweet smile on her face. Harry mustered up all his mental concentration and attempted the stunning spell again, this time non-verbally. Umbridge blocked the curse again and with a sneer on her face, waved her wand. Harry rolled to the side, dodging the black ropes that flew from the tip and landed on the side walk where he had just been.

"Still evasive as ever, aren't you?" she sneered as she approached. Harry scrambled to his feet and was ready to block whatever spell she threw at him next. She seemed aware of this as she stood appraising him, wand raised and pointed at him.

"You're such a fool. You know that, don't you, Potter?"

"How do you figure?" Harry asked, not lowering his defenses.

"You really thought you were so clever, breaking into the Ministry right under our noses – I owe you for making me fall down those steps, I haven't forgotten," she said with a small grin. "And you were so brave, finishing The Dark Lord in front of all those witnesses. What a hero you must consider yourself."

"Not really," Harry replied. "I just consider myself lucky."

"Well, I can promise you, your luck is about to end. There are those who are still carrying out the Dark Lord's plans," Umbridge said as she relaxed her posture slightly.

"I didn't know you had converted to a Death Eater," Harry said as he prepared to cast another Stunning spell.

"Oh no, this goes beyond the Death Eaters, who were only a pack of fools themselves. No, no, the Dark Lord's additional plans will still be carried out, and even the Death Eaters will be amazed by the things that will happen when his heir is revealed," she said in a fervent tone.

Harry's curiosity was peaked. _Heir?_ He thought to himself. _What heir?_

He didn't have time to think much; just at that moment, Sabrina began to stir. Her sudden small movement was enough to distract Umbridge at just the right moment and Harry shouted "_Expelliarmus_!"

The spell hit, but Umbridge jumped, much higher than Harry thought possible, and caught her wand. With a sneer, she fired another spell at Harry, which he blocked, and the dueling began.

Harry completely lost the ability for non-verbal incantations as he struggled to keep up with Umbridge's pace. He fired jinx after jinx, all of which she blocked or returned right at him, making him physically dodge several spells when he couldn't create a shield quick enough. His hair whipped around his face when the strength of an unknown jinx she cast bounced against his Shield charm, and he felt his wand shake in his hand as she attempted to disarm him again and again. All of the defensive measures Tim had taught him were being tested, and his counter curses were doing no good against her continuous onslaught.

Harry knew Umbridge was evil, but she dueled on a level that he had not expected from her. He kept waiting for Sabrina to regain consciousness to assist him in ending her attempt to fight, but she remained motionless on the sidewalk.

Distracted for just one moment, Harry was hit by a Stinging jinx and flinched away from the sudden pain. Umbridge had moved closer to him and kicked him roughly in the stomach. She stood over him panting as he gasped trying to catch his breath.

"Well, I see that your little training lessons you organized in your fifth year did you well," Umbridge complemented. "I suppose they've been adding a little more since you've been at the Ministry as well, but-"

She was cut off as a flash of light suddenly shot between the two of them from across the street. Umbridge turned her head, giving Harry the chance to raise his wand and shout _"Expelliarmus_!" Umbridge's wand shot into the air and out of her reach as Harry moved to catch it deftly in his hand. He turned his head to see the identity of the caster and saw Lansing walking angrily across the square, Tim following behind him.

"Enough," he said to Umbridge, who stood unabashed at the fight that had just taken place and smiled at the new arrival. "Kingsley wanted you in for questioning, but after this I think questioning is out and it'll be straight to a trial. Sabrina," Lansing said over his shoulder, "you all right?"

Harry started and looked up to see Sabrina getting to her feet, a frustrated look on her face. "Just fine, Lansing, thank you."

"Take Ms. Umbridge to Azkaban, Proudfoot will meet you there," Lansing explained as he shunted Umbridge over to Sabrina, who scowled at the approach. Umbridge was completely calm as she stood by Sabrina, and in a whirl of robes, they were gone. "Holcombe, stay with Potter- both of you head back to the Ministry. I'm going to meet up with Kingsley; get this sorted out," he growled quietly before turning on the spot and disappearing.

Harry stared at the ground, frustration overwhelming him. He had been right: he wasn't ready for this. Every duel he'd ever been in consisted of three or four spells, and even in the Battle he had fired curses under the protection of his Invisibility Cloak and had been protected from counter attack. Even in his practice sessions with Holcombe, they were protected and it was controlled … it was nothing like the real world.

Harry felt like he was eleven years old again, standing in King's Cross station looking around for Platform 9 ¾; like he was standing in Potions class, unable to mix the right ingredients and his cauldron was beginning to melt. He had thought that as he'd gotten older that the he'd become less naïve, when in reality he'd become more. Age was supposed to have taught him about judgment, and the world he'd been living in where things had appeared much easier than he expected was suddenly brought into a new light.

Everything Umbridge had said about him being a fool was true. He was a fool. A fool to believe that he'd gained skill from his battles; that he'd become brave and wise through his trials. He knew he was no longer the "Chosen One", and though that had lifted some weight from his shoulders, new weight began to fall upon him as he stood in the fallout of his own mediocrity.

"Harry?" Tim's voice called, echoing through Harry's foggy thoughts. "Are you okay? You held yourself well, we were running across the square and saw most of your duel before we were close enough to help."

Harry nodded, eyes still focused on the sidewalk in front of him. "I don't belong here."

"What happened anyway?"

"Sabrina caught my owl, and sent me a note to meet her here and arrest Umbridge. She came quietly, then just turned around and attacked. She must have stunned Sabrina. I jumped into the bushes and saw two flashes, so I'm guessing that's what happened. I didn't see though," he muttered quietly. "Lansing is going to let me go, isn't he?"

"What? No, of course not! Come on, let's get back and I'll explain from our end," Tim said, clapping Harry on the shoulder and moving him into the street before turning and apparating back to the Ministry. Though his instinct was to return home and wallow in self pity, Harry turned and apparated back to the Ministry as well.

He sighed heavily as he came out of the crushing darkness. Tim was standing slightly away from him, motioning for him to come up to the office. Harry followed quietly, still berating himself for even believing that he could just jump in and be an Auror without any extensive dueling experience, or cloaking and tracking skills like Tonks had mentioned. When he got to the Auror office, he sat down and put his head in his hands, getting angrier at himself by the passing minute.

There was a small thud as Tim sat a glass down in front of Harry before pulling up his chair next to his desk. "Drink," he ordered as he gestured to the glass.

Harry obeyed without even asking what was in it. As soon as he put the glass to his lips, he could smell the heat of the Firewhiskey and drank it all in one gulp. It burned as it traveled down his throat, but he sat down his glass and motioned for another.

"'Atta kid," Tim laughed as he poured Harry another shot. "So, Sabrina sends you a note, you meet up with her to arrest Umbridge. Umbridge attacks randomly, stuns Sabrina – who, by the way, was stupid for not making her give up her wand immediately – and you hold your own in a duel against a formidable opponent. Why are you beating yourself up?" he asked lightly.

Harry swallowed the second shot, shivering even though the liquid seemed to heat him from the inside out. "Because I should have just been able to stun her. She hit me twice with spells, and it was like I didn't get her once. I should have known better, I should have made her give up her wand, I should have-"

"You 'should have' nothing, Harry. Do you think that we all came in with all kinds of experience? Even going through training for stealth and tracking and all that doesn't give you the real experience. It's-"

"But I've had experience; I should have been able to hold myself better. I should have-"

"Harry, take it easy!" Tim said, passing him a third shot. "Yes, you've got experience… no one is denying what you have done. But, that was different. That took different skills. Dueling, real dueling, never gets easier. You're always thinking on your toes, and it never goes as expected. It's a skill that is acquired- just go easy," Tim said as he leant in and clapped Harry's shoulder again.

"Use me as an example," another voice suddenly said. Harry looked up to see Kingsley standing in the doorway, an understanding smile on his face. "Didn't you hear that the Death Eaters almost caught me? I had to fight like hell to get out of that, completely unexpected. Don't be hard on yourself, Harry," Kingsley said.

Harry nodded, feeling slightly better as he remembered hearing about Kingsley being on the run, but still angry with himself for letting Umbridge get the best of him.

"Now, about what happened today," Kingsley said, but Harry interrupted.

"I'm so sorry, sir, I should have waited to hear from Lansing or you before I went with Sabrina, I should have-"

"No one is in trouble, though I did talk to her about the arrest. I forgot that she's eager to prove herself and that she might go and attempt to take her in on her own. I didn't even think that she'd bring you along though. Whatever the reason, it's over and done, but we'll go over arrest protocol for next time," Kingsley said, smiling. "What I want to know is what Umbridge said to you."

Harry nodded. "She didn't say much at first, then she said something about Voldemort's plans that the Death Eaters weren't aware of. She said that there were still plans that would be carried out…and she said something about Voldemort's heir," Harry explained with a quizzical look.

"Heir? Like a child or something?" Tim asked.

"She didn't say, but that's the word she used, which I found kind of odd," said Harry.

Kingsley nodded. "Well that narrows my questioning for her down; if she apparently knew about Voldemort's additional plans, she willingly participated in what was going on. I knew she was head of that damn commission, and I tell you, the trial for that is not going to be pleasant, but I didn't know how deep her involvement went.

"But the heir comment is concerning. I'd never heard anyone mention this before," he mused as he sat down in a chair. "I might give Lucius Malfoy a visit, see if he knows anything."

"Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"Lucius and Narcissa are under house arrest, with limited mobility for travel, rather than a term in Azkaban. They are bound by several magical agreements though. They have to provide us with any information about Death Eaters whereabouts and any information that might lead to their capture. They also have to provide us with information about all the plans that were formulated and carried out under the regime. This was all in accordance so Draco could return to school, and be able to find a job later on," Kingsley explained. "Personally, I'd rather see them in prison, but this seems to work out at the moment."

Harry thought about Lucius Malfoy sitting in a prison cell. But he also remembered the image of him and Narcissa running across the Great Hall, avoiding the battle, screaming frantically for Draco.

"Narcissa Malfoy saved my life," Harry said quietly.

"What?" Kingsley and Tim both asked.

Harry cleared his throat. "Voldemort cast the Avada Kedavra, and I died. I went to… well, without sounding like I'm going mad, I talked with Dumbledore. It was kind of strange, like a dream… but he said I wasn't dead, that I could come back. Maybe it was a dream, I don't know," Harry explained, looking at them and expecting to see skepticism. None was present in either of their eyes so he continued. "When I woke up, there wasn't much commotion. It seemed like Voldemort had fallen, and he ordered Narcissa to come and check to make sure I was dead. I knew she could feel my heartbeat, and she knew I was alive. She leant down and asked me if Draco was alive, and when I told her he was, she told the crowd that I was dead.

"If she hadn't said that, I'm not sure what would have happened. I'm sure that Voldemort would have cast the Avada Kedavra again, and since that piece of his soul was no longer attached to mine, I would have died and not had the choice to return. But she didn't; she told them I was dead," Harry muttered. "I know it was only so she could save Draco, and I didn't matter, but still… she's part of the reason I'm alive." He hadn't told anyone this, not the crowd who had listened to his tale two nights after the battle, not Ginny, Ron or Hermione. It had practically slipped his mind until this moment.

"Hmm," Kingsley murmured. "That… changes things a bit. They did turn I suppose, if only for selfish reasons, but they came back to our side."

"Either way, if they're cooperating, maybe the leniency is earned in some form," Harry suggested.

"Perhaps you're right, Harry. You're much more forgiving than they would be, I'm sure… that's what makes you such a good Auror. You think before you act," Kingsley said. "Don't beat yourself up over today. Umbridge is at Azkaban, and you fought the good fight. Go home for the day, start your weekend early," Kingsley suggested. "Holcombe will be busy training our new addition as well; he'll start working with you on Monday."

"We have a new Auror?" Harry asked, lifting his head.

Kingsley nodded as he got to his feet, and said, "Yes, came in this morning and I just finished up his papers. He's with Lansing right now going over a few procedural things, much like what you did on your first day."

"Who is it?" Harry asked.

"Neville Longbottom. I thought you'd know; he said you had told him he should come in," Kingsley said with a quizzical look.

Harry smiled broadly. "I did, I just never thought he would take me seriously."

"Well, it's a good thing he did- we're going to get busy here in the next few months. Go home, Harry. Take it easy for the day," Kingsley said again.

Harry nodded. "Thank you sir, I appreciate that. I'll be here Monday, just as usual. Thanks for the drink, Tim," he said, handing him the empty glass.

"Anytime. And don't Apparate home," Tim warned as Kingsley laughed loudly. "Takes some practice to get that down after you've had a few, trust me." Harry smiled at the thought of himself standing splinched on his own doorstep.


	17. Unexpected

**Unexpected**

"Creep" Radiohead

* * *

"Seamus, what the hell was that?" Ginny shouted from across the pitch. She had just witnessed him do a spectacular dive only to pull up and fly straight into Dennis, who fell through the center hoop and was stuck hanging on to the edge of the ring until Dean made it over to rescue him.

"I was crashing! I couldn't pull up in time," Seamus shouted back.

"Well, watch it! You're supposed to hit the Bludgers, not your team mates!"

She saw Seamus nod his head but make a face at her correction before they flew back into position to resume practice.

She was proud of her team; they had flattened Ravenclaw in the first match of the season and had narrowly beaten Slytherin just a week earlier. Demelza, Dean, and herself had a flawless rhythm of passing the ball to each other, and Dennis Creevey was excellent at sighting the Snitch early on. Ginny suspected much of this came from his hero worship of Harry, but whatever caused it pleased her. Jimmy and Seamus worked together well, with Seamus seeming to take a majority of his angst out on the Bludgers, which also made her happy.

"Guys, let's call it a night- it's getting cold out," Ginny yelled after about another forty-five minutes of practice. They all landed and moved to the locker rooms. Demelza said good night to Ginny as she headed out the door while Ginny took her time putting her pads and equipment away, not anxious to head back. Being in her room was difficult after she'd caught her roommates, whom she'd always gotten on well with, reading some of Harry's letters she'd kept in her trunk. They'd acted like nothing had happened, but had been sneering and unfriendly toward her since then. She was sure they had read the letter when Harry had asked her about his Firebolt he'd loaned her and told her that he was looking forward to Christmas so he could spend the night with her again.

She began keeping Harry's Firebolt in Hermione's room rather the broom shed, as she didn't want something to happen to it. Hermione was more than willing to watch over it, and had given Ginny the password to her dormitory, telling her to come and stay there when her roommates got to be too much. Ginny appreciated the gesture as she preferred Hermione's company to almost every other girl that she had ever known, with the exception of Luna. Shaking her head as she thought again of the silent treatment she was about to endure, she picked up the broomstick and began to walk back to the castle.

She had just entered the gates to the main hall when something strange caught her eye. Hermione was walking quickly, almost at a run, toward the staircase that would lead to the Gryffindor Common Room. She was being followed, just as quickly, by a very chatty and animated Draco Malfoy. Rolling her eyes, Ginny broke into a sprint until she was just behind the pair of them.

"So… Hogsmeade this weekend, are you going?" Malfoy asked as they walked.

"Probably. I'm guessing that Ron and Harry will probably meet up with us. They did the last weekend we were able to go," Hermione said in an exasperated voice.

"Can I ask you something?" Malfoy said, jumping up to stand in front of Hermione slightly.

"It's never stopped you before," Hermione muttered, and Ginny held back a laugh.

Malfoy looked over Hermione's shoulder to see Ginny walking up the steps just behind them. His face hardened a bit, but no trace of a scowl or insult crossed it.

"Hello, Draco," Ginny said politely. "Hermione, are you headed up?"

"Yes I am, Ginny; getting back from Quidditch?" Hermione said breathlessly as she smiled broadly at the appearance of a third party.

"Just got done; it's quite cold out. Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't meant to interrupt you Draco," Ginny said and smiled before passing them and moving to the top of the flight to wait for Hermione.

"Hey, Weasley," Malfoy muttered as she passed. "Never mind. I'll see you around later Hermione," he said in a slightly irritated tone of voice as he passed by her and moved down the steps.

Hermione sighed deeply and rolled her eyes once Malfoy had moved on. She joined Ginny at the top of the flight of stairs, and scowled as she watched her shake with silent laughter.

"I suppose I should thank you," Hermione muttered.

"Why? I interrupted such a nice conversation," Ginny laughed.

"Shut up," Hermione said as she walked past Ginny and continued back to the Common Room.

"What did he want anyway?" Ginny asked as she caught up with her friend.

"He had a question about the Wolfsbane Potion we were brewing today, then about something that Lansing went over in Defense class. But other than that he seemed to dance around the subject of Hogsmeade," Hermione said with a small sigh.

"I'm guessing he wants to ask you to go with him," Ginny said with a small laugh.

"Well, if that is the case, the answer is no. Am I being too friendly?" she suddenly asked. "I mean, I'm not giving him any hints that I'm at all interested in him, and I talk about Ron every five seconds, trying to give him a message… he's just-"

"Thick enough that he won't pick up on it," Ginny said as they reached the door. "You'll just have to let him ask you so you can bluntly say 'Thank you but I'll pass, Draco. I can't imagine your father as an in-law,'" Ginny teased.

"Ugh… too right," Hermione said with a grimace as they entered the Common Room.

The room was surprisingly active for how late it was. A majority of the Gryffindor Quidditch team was playing chess and being laughed at by the rest of the students who were still up. Hermione smiled as she walked through the crowd and headed up to her dorm room. Once inside, she set her books down and sprawled across her bed and thought about Ginny's comment.

Malfoy had kept his promise: he'd apologized to Ginny and Luna, but not to Ron or Harry because he hadn't seen them. But it was still strange and annoying to her that he continued to suddenly appear wherever she was. She'd been completely honest when she'd talked to him, never once indicating that this would extend beyond mere courtesy to each other, but he continued to pursue and act friendly toward her. She also noticed that, as his confidence returned, he began to drop subtle hints about how they made a good team in classes, and how much she'd "grown up and matured", as he'd put it. He complimented her robes, her handwriting… everything. It drove her mad.

It drove her mad because it was insincere and crazy that he'd suddenly decided that he'd be friends with her, or whatever he wanted. It drove her mad because she was trying to be friendly, but she still disliked him despite the change in character.

And it drove her mad because it was him complimenting her, and not Ron.

Not that Ron wasn't complementary; he was in his letters, telling her how he missed her and amusing her with stories of his everyday life. But he wasn't here, where she could see him and cuddle against him; where she could smell his woodsy scent and have his body next to hers; where she could lose herself a little bit when he touched her; where she could-

"Hermione!"

She sat bolt upright in bed, disrupted from her thoughts and ran to the door. She opened it to see Ginny standing in her night dress, smiling broadly with a large golden Eagle owl perched on her shoulder.

"Ginny? What is it? You scared me to death. Why is Deacon here? Is something wrong?" she asked, observing Harry's owl.

"He was perched on the edge of my window when I went up to bed. He's got letters for both of us," Ginny said with a large smile as she handed Hermione hers.

Hermione opened the letter and sat down on the bed to read the note in Ron's familiar script.

"_Hermione,_

_Don't ride the train home for Christmas. I want to take you someplace. I'll meet you at the castle about seven o'clock on Friday the 18__th__. Wear something nice._

_Love, Ron"_

Hermione glanced up at Ginny, who was ruffling Deacon's feathers and smiling as the owl hooted contentedly. "What is this about?"

"Dunno, but Harry's letter said the same thing," she said, grinning.

"So you don't know, but you're grinning like that," Hermione replied skeptically.

"Well, I know from my mum and dad that Kingsley is hosting a Christmas Ball for Ministry employees. Mum wrote to me gushing over the robes that Dad had bought for her. I'm guessing that Harry got tickets and he must have managed to get some for Ron as well," she replied with a smile.

"A ball?" Hermione said, trying to keep a smile from crossing her lips. "Do you think that Ron will…? I remember the last ball we went to; he wasn't that pleased," she said, thinking of him scowling at her the entire time.

"Oh, that was because you were with Krum and he was being an arse about it. No fault of yours- he was a prat for not asking you in the first place. But at Bill's and Fleur's wedding he danced with you," Ginny reminded her. "Come on, Hermione, it will be fun."

Hermione smiled at Ginny's enthusiasm; she could see the trace of that 13-year-old girl who had cried over having to turn down the opportunity to go with Harry to the Yule ball in her brown eyes. "Yes, I bet it will be. Do they want us to reply?"

"Probably, but I'm not sending him back out tonight, it's too cold. Deacon, rest in the Owlery; we'll send our reply tomorrow," Ginny said to the owl on her shoulder as she moved to the window. Deacon nestled his head against hers, just as he did with Harry, and flew out into the night.

*****

"Neville, mate, are you sure you don't want to go? I mean I'm glad you gave me the tickets, but I don't want you to miss out," Ron asked as he poured another drink for himself, Harry, and Neville, who sat in Harry's office talking with Tim and Lansing about the coming party.

"No, you take them. You and Hermione will have fun. She deserves it I think," he said with a smile.

"Thanks, this will be great," Ron said with a grin.

"Especially since you didn't ask her last time there was a dance," Harry muttered, causing Neville to laugh lightly.

"So tell me this again, you've been friends with your girlfriend for seven years and you only just now got together?" Tim asked, looking at Ron.

"Yeah, I suppose I was a bit thick about the whole thing, but it doesn't matter now though," Ron said, blushing slightly.

"And she's this one, right?" Tim said, grabbing a picture of Harry, Ron and Hermione that Harry kept on his desk. The photo was taken just before their fifth year. Hermione's hair was a bit shorter and frizzier than it was now, but her photographic self smiled widely as she stood by her friends. Ron nodded and smiled at the picture.

"She's cute all right," Tim said with an approving grin. "And yours is the redhead, right Harry? And she's your sister?" he said again to Ron, who also nodded in agreement with Harry.

"Well, at least you know how to pick them," Tim said, which caused chuckles from all the men in the room.

"Ginny is feisty. She keeps me entertained in class, I can tell you that much," Lansing commented to Harry, who smiled proudly. "Lucky her and Hermione are in the same class- I think after the last class when we practiced the Guardian charm and the strength of Ginny's spell knocked Draco Malfoy off his feet that none of the other kids would partner with her."

Ron, Harry and Neville all laughed loudly. "She can hold her own in a fight," Ron said.

"So, what about you Tim? Who are you bringing to this party?" Lansing inquired when the laughter had died down.

"Sabrina," Tim said simply. "Just as friends though, she made it perfectly clear she's not interested in anyone. But I figure, why go alone?"

"She's smart in that; we keep telling George not to mix business with pleasure," Harry said, making Ron laugh again.

"George is your other flatmate?" Tim asked, and Harry nodded. "Well where does that leave you, Neville? You're so quiet, tell us about you!"

Neville blushed and said, "I live with my Gran right now, but I'm looking for a loft."

"That's nice of you to stay and take care of her," Lansing said.

"Oh no, she can take care of herself, my Gran. I just stay there for now to save up some money," Neville explained.

"Neville, you could stay with us you know," Harry offered.

"Nah, I've got some other stuff going on, but thanks Harry, that's really generous of you," he said, blushing again.

"So Ron, when can I expect to see your application on my desk?" Lansing asked.

Harry grinned, but Ron ran his hands through his hair and shook his head. "I dunno. My brother and I are just getting the shop up and running again, so I can't leave just yet, as there's still a lot of work to be done with it," he said, blushing.

"Well, whenever you feel ready, you know where to come," Lansing said with a grin.

*****

The weeks leading up to Christmas passed quickly. Hermione found herself greatly anticipating seeing Ron and being able to wear the black gown she had picked up when she and Fleur had bought Ginny's birthday present. She kept fidgeting with her hair when she was in her room, practicing using the Sleekeazy's potion again. She was finding it much more difficult to do what she had in mind with her own two hands as the day came closer.

"Ginny," she said as they walked to Defense against the Dark Arts on the Friday of the ball. "I cannot get my hair to do what I want! Would you come help me tonight before they arrive?"

Ginny smiled and said, "Of course, I would love to."

"Thanks," Hermione said with a smile.

"What do you need to fix your hair for?" a low drawling voice said from behind them. Ginny and Hermione both turned to see Malfoy following close behind them.

"Just… trying to do something different," Hermione said, shrugging and blushing under his gaze.

"If you're going to get dressed up, you might as well have a place to go," Malfoy said, suddenly moving in between Hermione and Ginny. "Would you want to-"he started, but stopped suddenly in his tracks.

Ginny and Hermione took a few steps past him, and then glanced toward the front of the room at what had drawn his attention.

Lansing was standing at the front of the class room going over papers, and at his side, looking over the book they were reading, was Harry.

"Apparently we have a guest speaker," Hermione said with a small smile as she glanced at Ginny's wide eyes. Just at that moment, Harry looked up and grinned at them both.

They moved into the classroom, amidst whispers from the other students about who was standing at the front. As the class moved in, Lansing looked up and turned around. "All right, settle down now. Today we have a guest with us as you can see; class this is Harry Potter. He is one of our Aurors at the Ministry and I brought him with me today to discuss the importance of Disarming and Stunning spells for defensive measures. Harry?"

Harry grinned as he moved to the front of the class and started to lecture. Ginny was impressed with how at ease he seemed. It was just like they were back in the Room of Requirement and he was talking to his friends.

She also had a hard time keeping a straight face at several things. The girls in the class room were batting their eye lashes and sighing as he spoke. It reminded her vaguely of the response they had to Lockhart when he was a professor. The boys also seemed very intent on taking in his words as though they were all about to march onto a battlefield. But what was really amusing her was Draco Malfoy's expression. She knew his promise to Hermione bound him from being a foul bully toward her friends, but he had a hard time keeping the disdain off his face. Harry seemed not to notice, or not to care, and continued on with his lecture.

At the end of class, Lansing dismissed them without a quiz, saying there would be a practical exam after the holidays. The class filed out, Hermione and Ginny amongst them.

"I'm going to wait over here," she said to Hermione, motioning to a corner. "You go on up, I'll meet you in a little while for your hair."

Hermione smiled and nodded as she headed on her way. Ginny stood and waited for Harry to come out. After about fifteen minutes, her wait was over as she watched him walk out with Lansing, who seemed to be giving Harry feedback about his presentation. She watched as they chatted and Lansing clapped Harry on the shoulder before turning and walking off. Harry looked around the seemingly empty hallway, a confused expression on his face.

"Professor Potter," Ginny said in a sweet voice. "I had a question, if you don't mind helping me."

Harry grinned as he saw her approaching him. "Yes, Ms. Weasley. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I know that Disarming spells can be blocked with a Shield charm, but what about personal charm? Is there a shield against that?" Ginny said as she sauntered over to Harry.

"Personal charm? I'm not sure what you mean," Harry said with mock confusion.

"Well I've been told that I need to keep my charm to a minimum, and I'm wondering if there is any defense against it."

"Ah, I see," Harry said. "Well, unfortunately Ms. Weasley there doesn't seem to be any defense against your charm. It looks like you'll just have to deal with the consequences."

"Consequences?" she asked. But Harry didn't answer, and instead pulled her close to him and pressed his lips to hers in a hard kiss, lifting her off her feet slightly.

Ginny sighed against his lips and opened her mouth slightly, allowing her tongue to trace against his. When he was finished and had pulled away, she clasped her hand over her mouth in mock horror. "Professor! With a student, really," she teased.

"I know, it'll be a huge scandal, won't it," he laughed as he put his arm around her waist and began to walk back to Gryffindor tower.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Ginny asked as they walked.

"Lansing wanted me to come and speak, working on my presentation skills he said. It will be useful when I get to participate in meetings and other public events," Harry explained.

"We're not leaving now, are we?" she asked.

"No, I'm leaving, but I'll be back with Ron later this evening. Are you packed? I can take your and Hermione's trunks with me if you'd like," he offered.

"I'm packed, but I'm not sure about her. We'll manage this evening- I'm guessing that Hermione will just Floo her trunk to the Burrow or Grimmauld Place before we go to the ball," Ginny said, hugging him tightly.

"Who said anything about a ball?" Harry asked with a small smirk.

"Oh come off it. Remember my dad and mum have the house all to themselves. I think she's bored so she writes me often, and she mentioned it to me weeks ago," Ginny said, nudging him slightly.

"So much for surprises," Harry muttered with a grin. He glanced at his watch. "I'd better go; there are some things I need to finish before I leave for two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"I'm taking your entire break off, didn't I tell you?"

"No, you left that out," Ginny said with a smile. "Are you coming to the Burrow?"

"Yes, for most of the time I'm guessing. I will have to go back to Grimmauld Place a few times, but you can come with me if you like," Harry suggested.

Ginny smiled and said, "We'll see what happens." She stood on her toes and kissed him lightly. He again pulled her tightly against him and opened her mouth with his lips to deepen the kiss.

After about five minutes he sighed deeply, and said, "I do need to go. Can we continue this discussion later?"

"Sure, we'll call it homework," Ginny teased, making Harry laugh loudly. She kissed him again before waving goodbye as he walked off down the hall and out the front steps.

*****

_You're going to just have to spit it out, no matter who's around. Otherwise you'll never get her by herself unless she knows_, Draco was thinking to himself. The random appearances of people that interrupted his moments with Hermione were beginning to wear on him, and it seemed his time was running out.

There was a small part of him that still felt angry at the whole situation. For three years he'd been able to bury his thoughts, been able to push them from his mind. But something about what happened last March stuck with him. How brave she'd been when under questioning, how she never asked for help, how she thought on her feet, and how loyal she'd been to her friends.

Loyalty was something that Draco wasn't around much. His parents fluttered back and forth between their own beliefs, asserting they were with the Dark Lord then denying it. Everyone he knew was much the same way. Deceit seemed to be something he was surrounded by; it was even buried within his own nature.

But she was honest, and loyal, and kind and sweet… even to him, after he'd been horrible to her. And he still couldn't help thinking about the way she looked at the Yule Ball, and the way she looked now. Her hair had calmed down, not as bushy or frizzy. And she seemed to have matured and grown into her figure- the curves of her body were more and more apparent to him every time he glanced at her.

Draco shook his head, thinking that he would tell her tonight; he would find her at supper and tell her. There wasn't any way she could, really, after all this time, be with Weasley. He'd gotten over his irritation with Potter, as he_ had_ helped save his life. But Weasley didn't make any sense. Hermione Granger, whatever her blood status was, deserved better than him.

Blood status… the words echoed in his mind. If she did end up taking to his charms, he'd have to find something to prove she was at least half-blood. Despite what he'd told her, his parents hadn't gotten over their own feelings on the importance of blood purity.

She'd have to choose him, she was intelligent. There'd be no way, if you put him next to Weasley, that one wouldn't choose him. Weasley's family was poor, he was still poor- he'd have to be if he was really working at that shop. _When she chooses me_, Draco thought, _she won't have to work_. She could just stay home and be relaxed, and avoid contact with anyone who might find out the truth if he did manage to cover up her heritage.

Resolving himself by boosting his confidence, Draco stood and moved to the entrance of the Slytherin Common Room. He'd find her at dinner and explain everything.

***************

"Wow," Hermione said as she glanced in the mirror. "You're a miracle worker, Ginny."

Her curly hair was pulled up into a loose twist at the nape of her neck. A few strands hung around her face, outlining the frame of her cheekbones perfectly. The paleness of her skin was emphasized by the soft blush she had added to her cheeks and her brown eyes were lined with a light liner and soft cream and lavender shadow. She recognized herself, but was impressed nonetheless with how nice she looked.

"Thank you," Ginny replied. "Now if I could only make my hair that fluffy. Oh well, it's not that bad, is it?" she asked as she peered over Hermione's shoulder at her own reflection.

Her auburn hair was pulled up in a loose knot, similar to Hermione's. But where the strands of Hermione's hair fell in loose ringlets around her face, Ginny's strands were straight. There was asoftness to them, but the straightness of her hair seemed to emphasize the curve of her shoulders and hips, which pleased her.

"It's beautiful," Hermione complimented as she glanced at the dainty watch on her wrist. "We should head down; they'll be here any minute. Did you send your trunk through already?"

"I did while you were showering," Ginny said. Hermione nodded and took one more look at herself in the mirror before opening the door.

"Now is the time I wish we could just Apparate down to the main hall instead of walking through the Common Room," she whispered to Ginny, who nodded in agreement.

But to their luck, the Common Room was empty, as everyone was still at supper. They passed through and down the stairs towards the main entrance without running into a single person. When they got downstairs, Ginny suddenly remembered she had forgotten a handbag she was bringing with her and ran back up to get it.

Hermione stood waiting in the entrance hall, feeling slightly self conscious. She hadn't put on her cloak yet, but she wasn't cold even though the hallway was drafty.

"Hermione?"

She turned to see not Ron, but Draco approaching her from the entrance to the Great Hall. His grey eyes were wide and shocked as he took in her appearance, making her blush deeply and start to walk backward toward the stair.

"You… uh… well, wow. You look… awfully dressed up to be going to dinner," he commented with a small laugh.

"No, I'm leaving tonight, I'm going with Ron somewhere," she explained.

"Weasley?"

"Do you know any other Rons?" she said, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"You look much too nice to be going anywhere Weasley could take you," Draco said as he moved closer to her.

"I think anyplace Ron takes me will be nice," she said defensively.

"Right," Draco said, an apologetic smile crossing his face. "Listen, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about."

Hermione gulped and tried to act disinterested, but she didn't expect what was about to come next.

"So… last March: I know you probably don't like to talk about it, and I certainly don't blame you. But something changed in me then. You… are very brave. Much braver than I ever gave you credit for. And you're loyal, something that I've never really experienced. And, well, to be perfectly honest, I think you've changed, even in the last few months. There's something different about you- your hair is so much prettier and… I guess I spent so much time trying to hate you for no reason that I never really noticed how beautiful you are," he said with a chuckle. Hermione could feel her cheeks growing hot, and also started to feel slightly angry at what Draco was doing.

"Anyway, I said that I wanted to be your friend, but there's more involved I guess. I really would like to take you out sometime, on a date. I think it would be interesting to see where it ended up," he said with a small smile.

Hermione sighed and chewed on her lower lip. "Draco, thank you. But I… I'm sorry. For one, I'm sorry, but I don't believe a word your saying. And two, even if I did, I'm taken," she explained, trying to put an emphasis on the final fact.

"By Weasley," Draco replied, no question in his voice.

"Yes," Hermione said. "By Ron Weasley. So I'm sorry, and I will still help you out and respond if you need something but can we-"

"You can do much better than Weasley, Hermione. He waited all this time to be with you- doesn't that say something?"

"You only started to fancy me after I'd been tortured, doesn't that say something?" she responded, a trace of anger leaking into her voice.

"I think it was always there, I just kept trying to make it go away. But that's not the point," Draco said, taking a step closer to her. Hermione found her back pressed against the stair railing. "I can give you so much more than Weasley ever could. Did you buy this dress? I could have bought it for you. I'm here, he's away… off working in a shop, of all things. I can keep you company all the time, and I'd never run off on you like he did; my temper isn't nearly that volatile," he said with a small smirk.

"No, you would just insult me at some point like you're doing to him now. Draco, this is-"

"Just think about it, really. You're smart, you've got to see that together we're-"

"Got it, I can't believe I almost forgot this thing and… oh! Um, hi Draco. So, Hermione I will wait for you up front then?" Ginny said as she walked past where Hermione and Draco stood talking.

"No, no," Hermione said, moving away from Draco to follow Ginny. "I'm coming now. Um, bye Draco, see you after the Holiday," she said with a wave.

"Hermione?" Draco said. Hermione sighed as she turned toward him. "You do look very nice, and I hope Weasley makes sure you are taken somewhere just as nice. If not, think about what I said," he finished. He gave her a small smile and walked away.

Hermione frowned as Ginny shook her head. "Did he…"

"Yes, you were all correct. But let's not talk about it please? Ron will just get all upset and I don't want that and I'm just… it's just creepy. Can we please forget it?" Hermione begged Ginny.

"Okay," Ginny said in a calming voice. "Forget it, it's fine… it's okay Hermione. But you will tell him later, right?"

"Yes, of course. Just not now, too much going on," she thought with a shudder.


	18. Fumbling

**Fumbling**

"All Around Me" Flyleaf

* * *

Ron messed nervously with his robes as he walked up toward the Hogwarts gate. Harry was doing the same thing, so he didn't feel too bad, but the self consciousness didn't fade away. The robes he wore now were much better than the ones he had worn to the Yule Ball his fourth year, but they still felt strange to him. The deep blue material set off his eyes and he'd cut his hair so it was neat and orderly. He'd also put on a brand of cologne that George had suggested to him, which kept him sniffing at his sleeves.

"I feel ridiculous, maybe this wasn't such a good idea," he said suddenly to Harry. "I mean, Hermione's going to look great and I look… I don't even know."

"You look fine, it's fine. They will like this, and besides, once we get there Tim and Lansing will be there and we can relax a bit. It'll be fine," Harry assured him as he fidgeted with his collar.

"Should have brought flowers or something," Ron muttered.

"Maybe, I don't know… your dad wasn't getting your mum flowers," Harry noted.

"Yeah but he never gets her flowers. I'm not sure, but isn't that what you're supposed to do?" Ron asked.

"I don't know how Ginny feels about flowers," Harry confessed.

"Well, too late now; we'll just have to go with it," Ron said with a small chuckle. Harry nodded as they approached the doors.

Once inside they didn't have to look long before they found Hermione and Ginny. The girls stood by the grand staircase watching the inhabitants of the portrait in front of them chastise what they were wearing. Ron was about to whistle at the pair when Hermione suddenly removed her cloak from her shoulders and his breath stopped.

Never, not once in the entire time he'd known her, had he seen her look as she did. The black dress she wore was strapless and tightly fitted through the hips, where it flowed out into an inverted lily shaped skirt. It wasn't so tight that it would be restricting, but it emphasized curves of her body he didn't know existed until recently. A long slit up the right side, only visible when she took a step, allowed her more freedom of movement. Her hair was pulled up, exposing her long neck and smooth shoulders, and he found himself aching to touch the cream color of her skin. Her cheeks were flushed, but it made her face glow and the chocolate color of her eyes seemed to be brighter than normal as well.

When her gaze met his, she smiled widely and Ron felt himself relax as she walked toward him. No matter what he looked like, she still wanted him and that increased his confidence greatly. When she reached him, she smiled nervously and brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. Ron's hand shook as he reached out and placed one hand on her hip and the other along her face, pulling her gently toward him. He rested his forehead against hers and inhaled deeply, allowing the combination of her scent and the visual stimulation of her dress to overwhelm him before kissing her gently.

Hermione sighed when she felt Ron's lips against hers. The knots in her stomach seemed to tighten a bit as he held her and trailed his hand up her back and to the nape of her neck, holding her tightly to him. The soft kiss lasted for quite some time before Ron pulled away and laced his fingers through Hermione's.

"You… er… you look," he said, stumbling and searching as he so often did for the right words. "You… you look amazing."

"No tone of surprise," Hermione teased.

Ron grinned; he took the cloak from her hand and put it over her shoulders, fastening the clasp just under her neck. "Shall we?" he said, offering her his arm, to which she rested her hand in the crook of his elbow as they walked out the front door, followed closely by Harry and Ginny.

Harry was still overcoming his own shock over Ginny's appearance in the dress that she had gotten for her birthday. Her hair was pulled up, which allowed him to see just how low the dress was cut in back. The halter neckline scooped in a bit down her front, but the back was cut so that it flowed and sat right above the edge of her hips. The dress was not tight, but seemed to gently hug the soft curve of her figure as she moved and rested just above her knees, allowing him to see how long her legs were.

He was also was amazed at how gracefully she moved. Each step he took he felt clumsy and awkward but he watched as she moved with complete confidence in her tall shoes. She was grinning, but he noticed a faint flush color her cheeks as he put her cloak round her shoulders, allowing his hand to linger against the skin of her neck for a brief moment.

They followed behind Ron and Hermione, who seemed to be engaged in some conversation they could not hear.

"Ginny, you look… um… wow," Harry stammered, looking at his feet.

"Thank you," she replied with a grin. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Harry chuckled and pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. "So, dancing- can you explain to me how we do this?"

Ginny laughed. "You did fine in your living room," she reminded him.

"That was slow, and I sort of just swayed back and forth," he said, moving to the side and back again.

"We'll work on technique later, let's just through this Apparation thing," she said shuddering.

"We could fly," Harry offered.

"Too cold, let's just go," she said with a resigned sigh. She watched as Hermione and Ron vanished in a swirl of robes and gripped Harry's arm tightly before they twisted and vanished on the spot.

About an hour later all four of them were much more relaxed. The main Atrium of the Ministry had been decorated with white lights entwined with garland. Wait staff bustled between the party guests, which were so numerous that Harry and Ron forgot to feel self conscious. There were trays of snacks, little sausages and crackers floating through the crowd, along with drinks of all sorts. Ron, Harry and Ginny had grabbed a few bottles of butterbeer but Hermione had opted for champagne when it was offered. They'd had a few snacks at the party when they first arrived, but were now sitting and talking with Harry's co-workers.

Ron, Ginny and Hermione all laughed loudly when Lansing told them about an incident a few weeks earlier in which Harry had managed to vanish all his clothes, save his socks, when practicing advanced Transfiguration with Tim.

"You neglected to tell me that one," Ron said, wiping a tear from his eyes.

"Me as well," Ginny teased.

"It wasn't that funny," Harry said, slightly defensively. His face was reddening, but he couldn't help but grin at them all as well.

"Not the vanishing itself. The funny part was you not realizing what had happened for a bit while I stood there snickering," Tim said.

Sabrina rolled her eyes. "They came back to the office, and Harry was red from his ears to his neck and Tim was laughing so hard he was crying. He couldn't figure out how to reverse the spell, so Harry had wrapped himself in that cloak of his and wandered back up to the office until one of us could figure it out," she said chuckling lightly. This made Ron laugh even harder.

"Enough stories about my Transfiguration disasters," Harry said, his cheeks flushing.

"Shall we move on to your Shield Charms, then? Like the day you two were practicing and Tim cast that skipping spell at you? Harry's shield rebound the hex so well that Tim had to skip around the office for the rest of the day."

Ron and Harry laughed while Tim scowled at his date. "Just because you couldn't remove it," he muttered, pushing her gently.

"I just wasn't with it that day," she said in an offhand tone, winking at the others when Tim wasn't looking

The conversation continued with several other embarrassing stories being told about Harry and his colleagues. The band began to play a slow song, the soft piano music drifting through the hall. As couples began to move onto the floor, Tim abruptly stood and grasped Sabrina's hand, twirling her out on the floor as she laughed. Harry and Ginny followed, moving toward the edge of the crowd as they swayed on the spot.

Ron gestured toward the floor as he stood and took Hermione's hand gently. She smiled brilliantly at him as he led her onto the dance floor.

Much like he had done at Bill and Fleur's wedding, Ron struggled internally with where to put his hands and how to hold her against him. Hermione slid her hands up the front of his chest before wrapping her arms around his neck and laying her head against his shoulder. Ron found his arms wrapping around her waist as he pulled her tighter, laying his head against her hair and sighing deeply.

The slow songs continued for a while. Ginny found her feet growing weary in the tall shoes she was wearing. She leant into Harry's figure as she tried to take some of the weight off them.

He smiled gently. "Do you want to sit down?"

"I think I do," she said with a sigh. "But first I want another drink; I'll meet you over at the table, okay?" she said as she started to walk away. Harry squeezed her hand and nodded in agreement.

Ginny had wandered over to grab another butterbeer when she heard someone calling her name. She scanned the room until she saw Professor Slughorn standing about fifteen feet away from her, talking to a dark haired witch she recognized from pictures in her Harpies book, Gwenog Jones.

Slughorn was waving Ginny over toward where they stood; she swallowed and began to walk slowly over to them, feeling knots build in her stomach as she moved.

"Miss Weasley! Good to see you! Harry saw fit to bring you along, smart boy he is," Slughorn boomed as she approached. His face was flushed and she could tell he'd been enjoying the wine the Ministry had supplied. "Weasley here is captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team this year; they've pulled off some good games. She's also quite the flier, rivals her boyfriend, I think," he teased with a wink.

Ginny flushed and smiled as she watched Gwenog glance at her appraisingly. "I do have a first name," she said to Slughorn. "It's Ginny," she said, turning back to Gwenog.

"Gwenog Jones, good to meet you Ginny. I gathered that's who you were, Horace has been going on about you since he saw you come in with Harry Potter," she said, nodding her head to where Harry was now sitting with Ron, Hermione and his other friends.

"Well, I just like to make connections, you know how I am," Slughorn laughed.

"Ginny, tell me about your strategy for your team. What kind of tactics do you take?" Gwenog said, pulling up a chair for Ginny to sit in. She grinned broadly and took a seat to begin talking.

*******

"Lost your girlfriend already, Potter?" Tim asked with a smile. "Where'd she get off to?"

"I'm not sure," Harry said, glancing around. "She was going to get another drink but I'm not sure where she went."

"She's over there, talking to Professor Slughorn and Gwenog Jones," Lansing said, nodding in their direction. Ron, Hermione and Harry looked over to see Ginny in animated discussion with the beater for the Harpies.

"That looks promising," Hermione noted with a smile. Harry nodded.

"Has she mentioned anything about wanting to play professionally?" Tim asked.

"Just in passing," Harry noted.

"Let her chat, Harry; it could be good for her," Hermione said.

"I will; I'm just glad to know where she is."

Hermione was about to say something else, but at that moment she felt soft hands rest against her shoulders. She looked up to see Mrs. Weasley smiling down at her gently. She gave her shoulders a squeeze before sitting in the empty seat next to her.

"Hermione, dear, you look lovely," she smiled.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, so do you," Hermione flushed, as she indicated the dark blue robes Ron's mother wore. She had her cloak over her shoulders, but Hermione noted how the color brought out her brown eyes and laughed gently when she saw Mr. Weasley glance at his wife appraisingly. Harry motioned for Ron to come with him to get another drink, leaving the two women sitting at the table.

"I've been meaning to write you dear, and it just slipped my mind, but I was wondering what your parents had planned for Christmas?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Oh, not much. I'm going to visit them this week, but I'll be back at the Burrow on Thursday for Christmas dinner and to help out, if that's all right," Hermione said.

"Of course, you know you're always welcome," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile. "Do you think they'd want to come back with you?"

"You don't have to go to all that trouble, Mrs. Weasley. I know Bill and Fleur will be home and there will be so much going on-"

"It's no problem at all; besides, I think it's right time we all got to know each other a little better," she said with a grin.

"I'll ask them then, that's very generous of you. Thank you," Hermione said with a smile.

"It's no trouble at all," she said again, patting Hermione's hand. Hermione grinned and glanced around for Ron. When she turned back, Mrs. Weasley leant in close to her and spoke again in almost a whisper.

"Can I ask you a question? Just a quick one, and you don't have to go into detail, but I noticed it earlier and I'm curious," Mrs. Weasley said, her smile growing broader.

"Sure, Mrs. Weasley, what do you want to know?"

"When did Ron give you the attachment ring?" she asked, gesturing to the strand of maroon thread around Hermione's third finger.

Hermione flushed slightly and grinned a bit wider. "On my birthday. He… uh… well It was kind of funny actually, I pulled a strand of thread out of his sweater on accident and he took it and made the ring out if it. I was really impressed actually; he did it just on the spot without even thinking. He's got so much more confidence since he's been working at the shop and it really shows whenever he does any kind of… what's funny?" Hermione asked quietly.

Mrs. Weasley laughed gently. "I've just always been amused by your tendency to ramble when you're excited or nervous. I'm glad he did that - it's very sweet. Arthur did the same thing for me when we were young," she explained, removing the small ring on the third finger on her left hand to reveal a strand of blue thread that was hidden underneath.

Hermione smiled as she examined the strand. It was worn, but there was no sign it was about to break. She wondered if there was a part of the spell that strengthened the thread.

"The thread represents the strength of the relationship," Mrs. Weasley said, answering her unspoken thought. "As long as the relationship is strong, the thread won't show any wear, just some more information about it for you," she explained pausing slightly. "Ron cares for you very deeply, you know that, right?"

Hermione nodded as she glanced over at the approaching figures of Harry and Ron, carrying drinks for all of them. "Yes, as do I," she whispered quietly.

Ron sat down next to Hermione and handed her another glass of champagne. He looked quizzically at his mother before launching into a story about the bartender commenting on Hermione's dress.

"Harry, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

Harry lifted his eyes from watching Ginny's enthusiastic conversation and looked over at Mrs. Weasley.

"Now, you are planning on coming for Christmas dinner, right?" she asked.

"Yes, of course, and if you need anything before then I'll be available to help," Harry said with a smile.

"That's nice, dear; I think we've got much of it covered. But I was wondering if you'd talked to Andromeda lately? What are she and Teddy doing?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I talked to her a few weeks ago, checking on him, but I didn't think to mention it," Harry said sheepishly.

"Well, tomorrow would you mind stopping over at her house and inviting her for dinner? I hate to think of them alone and we'll have plenty of food," Mrs. Weasley said with a concerned look.

"Of course, I've been meaning to stop and see them. That's very nice of you Mrs. Weasley, thanks," Harry said with a smile.

They began talking about dinner plans and other Christmas festivities when Ron noticed Hermione yawning. She blinked her eyes and shook her head slightly.

"Tired?" he asked, placing his hand on the small of her back. She nodded with a small smile. "We can go whenever you like," he offered.

"Oh, no, it's fine. I'll be okay if you want to stay for a while longer," she said.

"No, let's go. Your stuff is at Grimmauld Place, right?"

"Yes, that's where I sent it. Are you sure you want to leave?" she asked again.

"Positive," he said, getting to his feet and offering her his hand. She stood and stretched, yawning again as she did so.

"Taking off?" Harry asked.

"I think so, we're both a bit tired so we'll catch up with you in the morning," Ron said to Harry. "Will you head back soon?"

"Whenever Ginny is done talking," he said with a laugh, glancing over to where she sat again.

Hermione grinned in her direction. "Maybe she's getting some good tips; last year she can win the cup, you know," she reminded Harry.

He grinned. "I'm going to let her go for as long as she wants, I've got to talk to Tim anyway about the plans for when we get back after the holidays. We'll catch up with you in the morning," he said with a wink.

Ron and Hermione smiled and began to walk toward the door. They waved at Ginny as she noticed them passing and headed up to the front entrance. Once they were on the outside of the Ministry they both turned on the spot and appeared in front of the door to Grimmauld Place.

"I must say, it's much nicer to just be able to appear wherever instead of directly on the front step," Hermione commented as they moved forward. Ron laughed as he unlocked the door with the protective spell they had cast and held it open for her to enter.

Hermione removed her cloak and stretched again. Ron watched her long arms reach overhead and sighed to himself as his eyes raked over the curves of her figure.

"Master Ron, Master George wanted me to tell… Oh!" Kreacher said as he came around the corner. "Good Evening, Miss Hermione! Kreacher didn't expect to see you. Can I take your cloak?" the little elf said as he bowed and moved forward, his hands outstretched.

"Thank you, Kreacher; how are you?" Hermione asked with a grin.

"Kreacher is well, his Masters keep him busy and it is nice to have the house full again. Will you be staying with us? Can Kreacher get you and Master Ron anything?"

"I think we're okay, Kreacher, thanks. We're both tired," Ron said, removing his cloak and allowing the elf to take it and hang it up. "What did George say?"

"Master George said he would be staying with Miss Angelina tonight, and not to expect him home until Sunday," the elf explained, motioning for both Ron and Hermione to remove their shoes. "Kreacher will be glad to get either of you anything. If Master changes his mind, please call Kreacher."

"I will, thanks," Ron said with a smile as he watched the elf walk away.

"He seems happy," Hermione commented as she began to walk toward the steps.

"I think so, he's always right there whenever we need anything. He cooks better than my mum, I swear," Ron said as he followed her.

"Well, he shows loyalty to both you and George now, instead of just Harry, so he must have grown attached to you all," she said with a smile as she moved upstairs.

Ron followed curiously as she climbed the steps and moved into his room. Once inside she stretched again and allowed an audible sigh to escape her lips. Ron approached behind her and leaned his head against the smooth skin of her neck, breathing in her scent. She shivered slightly.

"Are you cold?" he asked, moving his hands to her arms and pulling her close. She shook her head, but shivered again under his touch and sighed again when he pressed his lips to the nape of her neck.

Ron smiled to himself, feeling rather arrogant when she sighed audibly and quivered again. He trailed his fingers up her arms, over her shoulders and down her shoulder blades, reaching the top edge of the dress she wore. He ran is fingers along the smooth fabric, thinking there wasn't much different between the texture of the dress and her skin.

"You look amazing," he whispered against her ear. She gasped slightly as he kissed her earlobe and inhaled again. "Really, I wish I had another word to describe how… how you look."

"Vocabulary was never your strong point," she replied in a shaky whisper. Ron laughed and stepped around in front of her, sliding his hands down to her waist. He grinned at her quizzically as he stared into her eyes, reading an expression in them he was not familiar with. He started to pull her close to him, but she surprised him by sliding her hands up his chest and removing the jacket of his robes before lacing her fingers into his hair and kissing him fiercely.

Again, Ron was taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm, but he enjoyed it none the less. He lifted her off her feet slightly and turned so her back was towards his bed, allowing one hand to slide down to the small of her back and moving the other to the back of her head. When he set her back on her feet she reached down to where her wand was hidden in her cloak. Pulling back from him slightly, she touched the top button of his shirt with the tip and watched them unfastened themselves, leaving his shirt hanging open slightly. She dropped her wand to the floor and slid her hands along his bare skin and over his shoulders, removing his shirt as she went.

Hermione allowed her eyes to trace over the planes of Ron's torso. He wasn't by any means extremely muscular, but there was definition in the features of his stomach, shoulders and chest that she didn't expect. She smiled to herself, realizing that this was the first time, in all the time she'd known him, that she had seen him without a shirt. The sight outdid any of the images she had managed to produce in her head. His shoulders and chest were broad and strong; she pressed her palms against his skin, enjoying the warmth that seemed to radiate from him.

Ron stepped closer to her and let her hands trace imaginary lines along his stomach and over his shoulders as his mouth met hers again. Shocked at her own bravery and the lust she felt coursing through her veins, Hermione pulled him tight against her and fell onto his bed, pulling him with her.

As he fell, Ron was worried about crushing her under his weight and tearing her dress, but the slit up the side allowed her to bend one leg and slide it along the outer edge of his hip. Unimpeded by any fabric on her shoulders, Ron moved his lips down her neck and over her shoulders and collar bone, inhaling her scent with each breath he took. Her fingers tangled again in his hair as she sighed out loud, and he again felt slightly arrogant at the effect he had on her. Suddenly however, his arrogance vanished as he nestled his head against the curve of her breasts for the second time. His body was longing to do things that he had no experience in. His hands ached to touch places on her body he had only dreamed about. But did she want him to? Did she have the same feelings? Or was he being too bold to even think about it?

"Ron? Is something wrong?" Hermione suddenly asked, tilting her head to try and see his face.

He lifted his eyes to look at her and propped himself up on his elbows as his hands slid under her shoulders. "No… are you okay?" he asked, watching her nod. "I… I, um… well, I…" he stuttered.

"Just… do what you feel like," she whispered, leaning up to kiss him.

"I don't want to… hurt you… or do something you don't want me to do," he muttered against her lips.

"I'll stop you if it's too much," she replied.

"I don't know what I'm doing," he confessed.

"Neither do I," she said matter-of-factly. She kissed him again, gently rolling him to the side slightly and wrapping her free leg around his. "But, I suppose people figure it out somehow…" she said quietly. "Am I doing something wrong?"

"No!" Ron said much louder than he intended causing Hermione to jump slightly. "Sorry. No, no, you're… you're perfect."

"Well, for not knowing what you're doing, you're driving me crazy… so um… I'll stop you if it's too much," she said before kissing him again, with more enthusiasm this time.

She was shocked slightly at the words coming from her mouth, but they were true. She had been dreaming of him holding her, kissing her, touching her since she'd seen him last, and they rarely got any time to be alone so she wanted to take advantage of it. Though she was shocked when Ginny had confessed to her about wanting to be with Harry so soon, she suddenly understood the pull desire had on one's actions. She was in no means ready for that final step, but she _was_ ready to explore the possibilities awaiting them.

She sighed as Ron returned her kisses and pulled her tightly against him. He laid her back so she was lying down again and angled himself so he was partly on top of her, supported by his arm that was wrapped around her shoulders. His other hand caressed her face and the exposed contours of her neck and shoulders. She could feel his hand quivering as he traced feather light touches along her skin. She placed her hand on top of his and gently slid it over the curve of her breast, smiling as he sighed and deepened the kiss, sliding his hand down to her waist. She moved her arm around to the back of her dress and tugged gently on the zipper, he picked up on her actions and assisted her with so much enthusiasm that the top of her dress slid down when he pulled on the zipper.

"Sorry," he whispered closing his eyes to allow her time to cover herself if she wanted. He heard her laugh lightly as she again took his hand and laid it against the exposed skin of her breasts and leaned up to kiss him once again. He traced the pad of his thumb across her nipple, feeling her shiver gently as he did. Pulling his mouth away from hers, he kissed down her neck across her collar bones and pressed his lips against the skin of her breast. He kept his eyes open this time however, tracing the counters and curves of the soft skin in between his kisses. The stark cream color of her skin made the pink shape of her areola stand out dramatically, and it fascinated him how amazingly beautiful it was. He kissed the soft flesh again and allowed himself to act out his fantasies as they came to him: gently nipping at her skin, taking the whole of her nipple into his mouth and sucking gently, gazing upon her partially naked body with his eyes…

Hermione lost track of time as Ron continued to stroke and touch the sensitive skin of her torso. Every now and then he would pause and gaze at her exposed skin which made her blush slightly, but she felt no urge to hide from him. His warm lips and tongue against her skin and the areas that no one had ever laid eyes on before were sending shockwaves of pleasure throughout her core.

Ron moved his lips back to hers again and allowed his hand to move lower along her waist, down along her hip, until he reached the top of her thigh, which he gently squeezed with his palm. Slightly scared of what he was about to do, for again he'd had no experience of any physical act of love, he let his hand trace down the outside of her thigh to her knee, enjoying the feel of her long, smooth legs. He gently moved his hand back towards her hip, letting it travel from the outside to the inside of her thighs.

Hermione gasped slightly as she felt Ron's hand slide up towards the apex of where her hips and legs met. She knew not what he was doing, but as he slid his hand slowly up the inside of her thigh, she found herself praying he wouldn't stop. Each centimeter he moved his hand up the inside of her thigh made shivers run through her body. She found herself spreading her legs wider, allowing him to move his hand up higher until finally he was under the black fabric of her dress and tracing the line of her knickers.

Afraid of her own reactions, Hermione held Ron's lips against hers tightly as he traced his fingers along the satin fabric of her panties. There was a tingly sensation every time he ran his fingers along her center, and as her breathing began to increase in pace it was harder to continue kissing him. Without warning, he gently slid his fingers inside the cloth of her knickers and touched the bare skin that was hidden beneath.

Ron found himself shocked and emboldened by the path she was letting him take. She had been kissing him fiercely, her tongue exploring the inside of his mouth seconds ago and suddenly, as he touched her, she arched her back and neck and let out an audible groan. The sound coming from her lips made the sensations he was feeling within his own core more intense, and instinctively he slid one of his fingers inside her, kissing the nape of her neck as she moaned aloud again. Still stroking the inside of her gently, he let his thumb trace circles around the folds of skin until his thumb passed over a smooth nodule and Hermione cried out, clasping the hand that was not gripping his shoulders tightly over her mouth.

Hermione's eyes popped open as Ron continued to move his fingers gently inside of her and touch unfamiliar parts of her body. She tried to stifle the sounds coming from her throat by closing her lips, but they wouldn't be silenced. She felt small waves of pleasure roll throughout her body, and she twitched her toes as she moved her legs wider still, allowing Ron to move deeper inside her. She bit her bottom lip to stop herself from moaning and allowed herself to become lost in the sensations he was creating for her. She suddenly found herself wanting to give the same pleasure to him, wanting to make him groan aloud the way she was. Her hand began to move of its own accord down his stomach before coming to rest exactly where his zipper was. She pulled on the silver tab and when it was out of the way, moved her hand inside the opening of his trousers and gently pressed her palm against the stiffness she felt there.

Ron exhaled a deep groan as Hermione's hand pressed firmly against the area he so badly wanted her to touch. He gasped again as she started to move her hand against him, her rhythm perfectly matching the strokes of his fingers against her inner walls. She may not know what she was doing, but whatever it was made him feel so much pleasure he thought his head would burst from it. Each time she moved her hand against him, he tried to touch her a little deeper, causing her to arch her neck and back and push her hips against his hand. He wanted her so badly; he wanted to feel the skin of her naked body against his own. He wanted to make her cry out his name and wrap her legs around his waist as she gave herself to him. Allowing his mind to expand and fantasize what she would look like if she were without the dress, he moved his lips back to hers and kissed her deeply.

He suddenly felt her hand grasp around him, and her mouth opened wider and she inhaled a sharp gasp. He was about to ask if something was wrong when she cried out and he felt her muscles contract from inside. He watched with fascination as her eyes widened, her lips parted, and her back arched again. She closed her eyes and cried out softly, her muscles contracting, again and again, until finally she sighed deeply and lay back against the mattress, her chest rising and falling rapidly underneath him.

He removed his hand from between her legs, sliding it up along her hip and wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him. She quivered and snuggled her face into his shoulders, moving her hands and laying them against his chest. Ron felt his breathing began to return to a normal pace; he felt astonished at what had just happened, slightly cocky as he thought of the pleasure he had just given her, and nervous over her reactions. The desire he felt for her seemed to heat his body from the inside out. Searching for an ice breaker, Ron held her close and, with his free hand, began to pull pins out from her hair, allowing the curly strands to fall out of the elegant twist.

"My hair will be a mess," she whispered against his skin.

"Just how I like it," he replied as he grinned down at her. "I think that… well, I'm guessing that… um…"

"That I liked what you were doing?" she whispered, hiding her face.

"Did you?" he asked, angling himself so he could look at her. Color flooded her cheeks as she grinned a shy smile. "I'm glad," he said with an arrogant tone to his voice.

"Did you… um… I didn't know if I should…" she stuttered, searching around for the right words.

"Vocabulary was never your strong point," he teased.

"Ha ha ha."

"Whatever you did was… it was… let's just leave it at that," Ron said, sighing contently.

Hermione suddenly stood up and moved toward her trunk that was in the corner. Before Ron could ask what she was doing, she had pulled out a t-shirt, threw it on over her head, removed the dress she was wearing and pulled on her pajama pants. In another second, she was back beside him, snuggling into his arms.

"Sorry, that dress was beginning to bother me," she explained.

"Are you sure those pajamas aren't bothering you? Perhaps you would be more comfortable without them?" he teased. She lifted her eyes and gave him a sly smile before laying her head against his chest again.

"I wonder if Harry and Ginny are home yet?" she pondered as she began to trace patterns against his skin with her fingers.

"Well, if they are, it's a good thing I did a Silencing Charm around my room," he said in an offhand tone. Hermione laughed before lifting her head and kissing him gently. "You're staying?" he asked, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Can I?"

"Always," he said, pulling her close to him again and kissing her lips.

*****

Harry glanced around the room; he'd lost track of time talking with Tim about the initiatives they were taking on after the holidays and had wandered over to find Ginny to see if she was ready to leave.

"Harry m'boy! Looking for Miss Weasley?" Slughorn suddenly shouted from behind him.

"Yes, actually. Do you know where she went?" he asked, still looking around.

"I know Gwenog left a while ago, perhaps Ginny walked her out?"

"Maybe, I'll head up front to check," he said, waving to Slughorn as he began to move toward the front of the atrium.

He didn't see anyone at first, but heard the click of high heels and turned to see Ginny walking toward him, a wide grin on her face. He was about to ask her how her conversation went when she suddenly flung herself into his arms and squeezed him tightly before kissing him.

Her mouth moved against his in perfect synchronization. He trailed his hands down her bare back and sighed at the feeling of her bare skin.

"Did you enjoy your conversation?" he asked, moving his lips behind her ear.

"She's going to come watch me play," Ginny said, trying to sound non-chalant.

"Seriously?" Harry asked, pulling her back and looking at her. She nodded, the beautiful smile he loved flashing across her face. "That's brilliant! What does that mean? Does she think you can get on the team? When did you decide you wanted to play professionally?"

"I didn't, I hadn't even given it a thought. But she got me intrigued, so I asked about tryouts; she said she might be able to hook me up for something. She's going to come to the game in February," Ginny said, her voice rising in pitch.

Harry hugged her and lifted her off her feet, spinning on the spot. "That's fantastic, Ginny! Tell me-"

He was about to ask her about the entire conversation, but he found his lips suddenly busy as she kissed him passionately. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hitched one leg around his hip as they kissed, feeling him stumble a little as pressed her lips against his.

"Wow," he said when she released him from the kiss. "Can she come talk to you more often? I like your reactions," he teased.

"Where are Ron and Hermione? I saw them wander off a while back."

"They left then, said they were tired. Something tells me they're probably not sleeping, but that's where they are," Harry explained, making Ginny laugh.

"Let's go home, I'm staying with you tonight, Mum and Dad know. I'll tell you all about it when we get back," she said as he set her down on the floor. They began to walk hand in hand out toward the gate chatting about Ginny playing for the Harpies. Their exuberance over Ginny's conversation and the fact that they were together again made them unaware of anything in their surroundings. They didn't notice the other party guests leaving, the chill in the night air, or the pair of dark eyes watching them from under a cloak.

The cloaked figure moved toward the Auror office, unnoticed by the party guests in the atrium. Moving a wand and silently feeling out the protective enchantments of the Auror office, the figure managed to remove them and stepped inside. It searched through several drawers before moving to the back of the office, casting another removal charm on the safe and removing two small vials; one with a dark, thick liquid, the other with a powdery substance. Placing the vials in the pocket of its robes, the figure pulled out a wand and waved it violently, the papers that had been scattered about by its searching shredded into confetti sized pieces.

Glancing at one the desks in the office, the cloaked figure approached Harry's desk. It picked up the photo of Harry and Ginny sitting at the Burrow, staring at it for a long time before slamming the frame down and smashing it to pieces.

Unnoticed by the guests at the party, the figure discarded its cloak before strolling back among the guests as though nothing had happened.


	19. Orphans

**Orphans**

**

* * *

  
**

Ginny woke the next morning , sighing as she inhaled Harry's scent from the pillow she held. She opened her eyes and rolled over; meaning to wrap her arms around him, but found herself alone in his room. She sat up and glanced around curiously. No note, no sign of anything out of place, perhaps he'd already gotten up and let her sleep. Stretching her arms overhead, she put on a pair of socks and a sweatshirt and walked downstairs.

As she descended the stairs and wandered down the hall toward the kitchen, she became curious about the lack of activity in the dining room. The Daily Prophet was lying on the table and Hermione and Ron were staring at it avidly. Breakfast was on the table, but there wasn't any sign of Harry. She wandered over to where her brother and Hermione sat and picked up a piece of toast.

"Morning. Where's Harry?" she asked looking around the room for him.

"He had to go in this morning. Here," Hermione said as she handed Ginny the paper. She took it from her hands and read the headline, her eyes widening in shock.

"_Break in at The Ministry of Magic_

_During the annual Christmas Ball, held this year by Minister Shacklebolt, the Auror Office was broken into and damaged. Though both Minister Shacklebolt and Head Auror, Gideon Lansing, have stated they found nothing missing, many consider the break in to be cause for alarm…"_

"This happened last night?" Ginny asked, handing the paper back to Hermione.

"Apparently, though I'm not sure how anyone could have gotten in without that invite. Kingsley stopped by and personally asked Harry to come in to look over stuff. His office was pretty banged up," Ron explained before he resumed reading.

Ginny sat down, her mind whirling with questions. "Kingsley's or the Auror office?"

"The Auror office," Ron replied.

"But nothing was taken? And none of the guests noticed anything strange?"

"We're not sure- Kinglsey didn't say much, so I'm guessing we'll have to wait till Harry gets back for the full story," Hermione said as she passed Ginny a glass of juice.

Ginny nodded and picked at the piece of toast she was eating, her mind racing with questions. Hermione glanced at her watch and sighed. "I've got to run for a bit, I need to visit my parents and ask them if they can come to Christmas with your family," she said to Ron.

"You're not staying with them?" he asked, his eyes brightening a little.

"This afternoon I am, but your mom asked me to invite them to Christmas last night, it was very sweet of her. I'm not sure how they'll have room for everyone, but she insisted," Hermione explained shaking her head.

Ron chuckled and smiled. "There will be room. I don't think that Dad has told Mom what we got her for Christmas, he just told her to invite as many people as she wanted for dinner."

"What did you get her?" Ginny asked curiously.

"It's for Christmas, Ginny. You'll have to wait," he teased.

Ginny rolled her eyes and threw a chunk of her toast at him. She then watched as Hermione kissed Ron before moving toward the door, grabbing her cloak and a hat on the way. "I'll be back around four o'clock or so. Will you be here?" she asked Ron.

"Probably, if we'll leave for the burrow I'll write you a note," he said, pulling her close for another kiss before they began to walk to the front door.

"See you later, Ginny!" Hermione said as she walked down the hall.

Ginny waved and took a bite of her toast before pulling the paper over to her to read the article in full. There wasn't much information, but the story concerned her none the less. She hoped that Harry would still get his time off; she had been looking forward to spending time with him. It'd been so long since they'd been alone together she had forgotten how good she felt inside his arms.

"Ginny?"

She looked up at Ron who had taken Hermione's seat next to her. "Yes?"

"Will you tell me something?" he asked leaning toward her.

"I'll try."

"Has Hermione ever mentioned…um, … er… has she ever talked about … what she's… well, um-"

"Ron," Ginny said, trying to keep the exasperation out of her voice. "Just spit it out, it's me!"

"Has Hermione ever talked about what she wants to happen with her and I?" he asked quickly.

Ginny glanced at him quizzically. "No, not really. She talks about you a lot, and she talks about how she can't wait to be done with school so she can see you more, which is funny hearing from her. But, other than that nothing specific. Why?"

"Just wondering," Ron said dropping his eyes and grabbing a piece of toast.

"She did tell me about the attachment ring, nice job on that. I was impressed," Ginny teased. "You've got more of a knack for that stuff than I gave you credit for," she added.

"Glad to know I've met your expectations," he said with a laugh.

"Ron, Hermione is crazy about you. Don't worry, okay?"

He nodded. "I thought about getting her a real ring," he suddenly confessed.

"Really? Isn't it a bit soon?" Ginny asked, sliding the paper away from her and turning so she faced her brother.

"Do you think?"

"I don't know, Ron. What do you think? Tell me your logic behind it," Ginny said, setting her chin in hand.

"Well," he said thinking. "I know Hermione better than anyone, and I know for a fact that I'm never going to want anyone else. Plus, we already know how we get on, we don't have any secrets, it just feels… I don't know…why wait?"

"Does this have something to do with Malfoy?" Ginny asked.

"Malfoy? What the _hell_ would Malfoy have to do with anything?" Ron asked, his ears turning red.

"Didn't Hermione tell you? "

"Obviously not," he muttered.

"I bet she didn't tell you because she was worried you'd go mental, so just ease up okay? It's really no big deal," Ginny assured him. Ron continued to stare at her, waiting for the whole story.

She sighed. "Okay, so basically he's been following her around, and being all friendly, and all of that. Well, he claims that he's gotten over his prejudices, and that he was only jealous of you three for getting more attention than him; that's why he was so foul all that time. Then he said that he wants to be friends, which she agreed to reluctantly, but he just keeps after her. He pops up wherever she is; he follows her to and from class, asks her questions all the time…really irritating. It drives her mad," she explained.

"Then on Friday, before you arrived, she didn't tell me the whole story, but I'm guessing that he finally owned up to the fact that he fancies her. From what she said, I guess he asked her to go out with him, and leave you. Of course she said no, but that's what's going on. I thought, maybe, if she told you this, you'd be itching to get engaged, so he'd know she was off limits," Ginny said.

"No, that's not why. And Hermione hasn't told me any of this. Why not?" Ron said his temper flaring a little.

"Because she didn't want you to get upset, just like your getting now," Ginny explained holding up her hands in a defensive posture. "It's nothing! Well, for Malfoy it is I guess…but for Hermione it's just an annoyance. She wants _you_; she'd never even consider that slimy git as anything other than a foul, cowardly, bully."

"Right…right," Ron said, running his hands through his hair.

"Don't get all mad at her, she's not trying to hide it from you, she just didn't want you to get upset or worried about it."

"I'm not mad at her; I'm furious with him," Ron explained. "What the hell is he playing at anyway? He's got to be delusional, after all he did, to think that she'd even…What's he after?"

"That's what I'm wondering," Ginny said. "Anyway, you said it yourself, he's delusional."

Ron sighed, and nodded his head. He didn't want to talk about it anymore, on a list of things he wanted to think about, having a Blast-Ended Skrewt as a pet came in over Malfoy fancying Hermione. He looked at his sister as she watched him cautiously. He realized that they hadn't had a conversation like this one in quite some time. "Thanks Ginny, for telling me that. I appreciate it," he said punching her lightly on the shoulder.

"Can you return the favor?" she asked, lowering her head and picking at her toast.

"Huh?"

"Does Harry ever…I mean … well, pretty much the same question you had," she asked quietly.

"He does. He worries about you, he thinks about you all the time. I don't give him a chance to say much I guess, you know, because guys just-"

"Don't talk about stuff like that?"

"No, it's not that – well, yes, that's true. But…I'm sorry Gin, I just don't want to hear about it. If it was another girl it'd be different, but I don't want to hear about all the things I'm sure he'd like to…yeah," Ron said cringing.

"Why does it bother you?"

"Because you're my sister!" Ron exclaimed incredulously.

"It doesn't bother George," Ginny said.

"Yes it does, we'll talk about something, and Harry will start to add in, and we both just shut him down because we don't want to think about … things happening with you," Ron explained.

"I guess understand that, but it'd be nice if he had _someone_ to talk to," she said quietly.

"What does he need to talk about?"

"Why he won't….or um… why he doesn't want to-"

"He won't what?" Ron asked, a confused look crossing his face.

"You are really thick sometimes you know that?" Ginny said a little bitterly. "He doesn't…well, maybe he does, but he didn't –"

"Are you talking about sex? He tried to shag you? What happened?" Ron asked, closing his eyes and putting his head in his hands.

"You git, just hang on a second," Ginny exclaimed, taking a deep breath to calm herself. "He didn't try anything, _I_ tried! And he turned me down, said he didn't want to me to be nervous and he wanted me to be ready and all this stuff. Is that normal?" Ginny screeched, assuming the same posture as Ron. "I mean, really…every other boy I know, that's all they talk and think about, and they try and-"

"STOP! Just stop, okay?" Ron growled as he shut his eyes and tried to block out the mental images that were coming into his head. "Just…just give me a second all right?"

They sat in silence for a few moments. Finally, Ron lifted his head. "So you…_propositioned_ Harry," he said as Ginny glared at him, "it was the only word I could think of. And he turned you down?"

"Not exactly in those words, but yes."

Ron tilted his head and considered this information. "It wasn't because we asked him to."

"Was it because he doesn't want me?" Ginny asked, dropping her hands and fidgeting nervously.

"Ginny, Harry is in love with you; if he said it, he means it, you should know that. Being a man, I'm sure he _wants_ you as well. I don't know much about relationships, but from what I've experienced, when you have love, you definitely have some lust as well. But," Ron paused, thinking about the previous night with Hermione and his own battle with what he wanted and how he wanted her to be ready and be okay with everything, "turning you down…he's thinking of you over himself. Trust me, I know."

Ginny lifted her eyes and looked at her brother. She realized something similar must have happened between him and Hermione, and that they were in the same boat: a constant struggle between their desires and lack of experience, not to mention, the fear of unknown implications of any physical action. They were all fighting another war, the war between the growing need for intimacy versus fear and confusion. "You know for sure?"

"Trust me Ginny, I know."

Ginny sighed, a small smile crossing her face. "Thanks, for explaining it. Thanks for listening, I know that's not easy…it's not easy for me either, but I guess I can detach myself."

"I haven't learned the detachment processes yet, so…you're welcome. But don't make me do this all the time," he said cringing slightly.

Ginny grinned. "Want to make a bet on who loses their virginity first?"

"That's disgusting, Ginny. I don't want to think about that," Ron said, though after a few seconds he couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

"What the hell were they looking for?" Tim growled as he kicked a few pieces of paper across the wooden floor.

"Who knows, we haven't found anything missing yet so we can't be sure," Proudfoot said.

Harry was only vaguely listening to their conversation; he had searched through his desk drawers and accounted for all his important items: his testimony against Umbridge, the lists of alleged Death Eaters within the Ministry and Death Eater's still at large and their possible whereabouts. What was concerning him, however, was the smashed picture frame of him and Ginny, and the disarray that was done to his desk. That was a personal message.

"Something is missing," Sabrina said suddenly.

Harry stood and followed the others toward the back of the office. Kingsley moved next to her and examined the safe. "What's gone?" he asked.

"Everything is there accept the two vials," she whispered to Kingsley whose eyes widened.

"You're sure?"

"Positive, I've checked three times," she said.

Kingsley sighed, "Apparently Umbridge was right. There are still lingering Death Eater's in the Ministry. Only a Ministry employee or guest could have gotten in that night."

"What was in the vials?" Harry asked.

"Blood from Voldemort's snake that we took for antidote purposes - it's a powerful healing agent when mixed properly - and another sample of evidence from when you destroyed his body," Sabrina explained as she moved past Harry and sat down.

"What would they want that stuff for?" Neville asked.

"Antidotes? But they could make those without the blood. Other than finding out what type of snake it came from, I can't think of anything at the moment. The other evidence wouldn't be any good, someone could want it for sentimental reasons I guess," Lansing muttered.

"How would they know how to get into the safe?" Harry asked.

"All the offices have a safe," Kingsley explained. "Even though we have individual locking codes for them, it wouldn't be that hard to figure out how to unlock it with the right spell. Perhaps we've relaxed security a bit too early."

Kingsley sighed and rubbed his forehead; Harry noticed he looked careworn and tired. "All right, there's not much we can do about it now. I'm going to ask all of you for your wands for a few minutes. _Priori Incantatem_ will prove that none of you were involved, and Lansing you can do the same for mine. After that, I'll be pulling Ministry employees in and asking the party guests to submit their wands for the same. Other than that, there isn't much we can do for an investigation into the break in for the time being, especially without any evidence. But, we'll have to be on the lookout for any suspicious ingredient buying.

"Sabrina, I want you to go with Lansing and Neville to visit the apothecaries. Give them a list of ingredients that, when mixed with that snakes blood, may produce antidotes, poisons or any other potions. There shouldn't be that many, and they're definitely not something one would need around the house. Ask them to contact us in the event that someone buys any of those ingredients.

"Proudfoot, you'll be doing questioning of the prisoners in Azkaban. Start by visiting the Malfoys at home to see if they can remember anyone doing any kind of potion work with Voldemort.

"Tim, you and Harry will be on call for things that come up," Kingsley said as Harry started to protest. He didn't want to be "on call". He wanted to be out there, if someone was still looking for ways to continue Voldemort's plans, Harry wanted to stop them. He wanted it to be over for good.

"I know you want to help, but you two are our best defensive and dueling specialists. I'll need you on call in case something else comes up. That's your job for now, okay?"

"I'll be at my loft all Holiday," Tim said, a somber tone to his voice. "Just send your Patronus and I'll be there."

"Harry?" Kingsley said.

"I'll either be at Grimmauld Place or The Burrow. Same thing, just send your Patronus," he muttered, grudgingly relenting to Kingsley's request.

"Good. Let's examine the wands then we'll get out of here before any more of the Daily Prophet staff get here," Kingsley said glancing out the door at the small group of reporters waiting outside.

Lansing took Kingsley's wand and examined the spells it had cast recently. When it got to spells he had performed Friday at the office when he was under supervision, Lansing stopped. He then proceeded to examine everyone else's wand, with Kingsley's help. Harry waited in the corner, tapping his wand against the photo frame of his and Ginny's photo and muttering "_Repairo_".

"Harry? You're next," Kingsley said after a few minutes.

Harry handed them his wand, watching as images of his recent spells mimicked themselves on the desk. The picture frame resealing itself, unlocking the door to Grimmauld place, apparition to Hogwarts.

"All looks good, thank you everyone," Kingsley said. "Now, there will be a different protective spell on the office. It's going to require a specific incantation to undo it. The incantation will be _"Aufero Tutela." _Remember that, so you can get in on Monday."

Everyone nodded and headed out. Harry glanced around at the office, watching as Lansing waved his wand and repaired a majority of the paperwork. What was beyond repair vanished from sight with another flick of his wrist. He glanced up at Harry's retreating figure.

"Harry," he said. "Take care of yourself, okay?"

Harry nodded, waving his hand before heading out the door. Once he arrived on the street, he stared up at the sun shining down and wrapped his cloak around his shoulders. Muggles were walking by the ministry doors, completely unaware of what lay beneath. It suddenly hit him how a whole different side of London lay beneath their feet. It was completely accessible to him, but remained hidden away from the Muggles who walked across the street from where he stood. It really was amazing that they managed to stay so in the dark about all that went on around them. Though, if they were anything like the Dursley's, they would prefer to remain unaware of the activity.

He started to walk back toward Grimmauld place, deciding to use the time to think before he explained what was happening to Ginny, Ron and Hermione. As he walked his, thoughts traveled, as they often did, to the remaining Death Eaters at large. The war was over; Voldemort was dead, as were many of his head followers. Why would this be continuing? Didn't they realize that Voldemort was gone? Didn't they realize that his life was over, and as they made their feeble attempts to bring him back or continue his plans, a new world was being reborn?

Harry thought of the inhabitants of this new world, who they would be and what they would add. He wanted to end this chapter in wizarding history for good; he wanted to round up the remainder of the Death Eaters and lock them away. He wanted to create a safe place where Muggles and Wizards alike no longer had to worry about darkness overcoming the their lives; where children could keep their parents, and they could grow up free of the fear he and so many others had experienced in their lives.

As he thought about children without their parents, he remembered his promise to Mrs. Weasley to invite Andromeda and Teddy to Christmas dinner. He knew they would have plenty of room with the gift that he, Ron, and George had arranged with Mr. Weasley, so it made him happy to stop by and see his God-son. He hadn't been to see Teddy for over a month; he vaguely wondered how big the little boy would be now.

Harry Apparated to the corner of Marks Street and Fifth Avenue, right in front of the house he had crash landed at over a year ago. He moved to the front door and knocked gently, waiting with a smile for Andromeda to answer.

When she opened the door, Harry, as always, was slightly taken aback by how much she looked like Bellatrix. The wavy hair, heavy lidded brows and facial features were all the same, but Andromeda's hair had a softer glow, as did her eyes and other facial features. Her eyes widened at his appearance and a gentle smile spread across her face.

"Harry! This is unexpected, please come in," she said stepping aside and gesturing him inside.

"I hope I'm not bothering you," he said as he walked inside.

"No, not at all. I was just actually trying to figure out how I was going to get some Christmas shopping done. Teddy is all over the place now, and he's not content to let me hold him while I look at things," she said. Her voice was tired, but still retained the same awe it always shad when she spoke of her grandson. When they walked into the living room and Teddy came into sight, Harry's eyes widened as he observed the little boy.

He had gotten much bigger since Harry had last seen him. His light brown hair was getting thicker, and he seemed to be filling out his once long and lanky frame. As Harry approached and knelt down beside him, the little boy grinned at him before resuming playing with his blocks, babbling quietly to himself.

"He's just started to pull up on things, about a week ago. Hasn't quite got it all figured out, but he's definitely mobile. I've had to put protective charms over all the breakable items, and over the stairs. I'm guessing a few more weeks and he'll be walking; then there will be no stopping him!" she said with a small laugh.

"He's definitely gotten bigger. I'm sorry I haven't been by more often, it's been busy," Harry said as he stood again.

"It's all right, I understand that. Would you like a cup of tea?" Andromeda said as she walked toward the kitchen.

"Thank you, but I'll pass for now. I can't stay long, but I wanted to stop by and ask you what you had planned for Christmas," Harry said.

"I've got some shopping to do, but other than that we were just going to be home, I believe" she said with a small sigh.

"Would you like to come to The Burrow? Mr. and Mrs. Weasley asked me to invite you and Teddy to come for Christmas dinner," he said with a smile.

Andromeda widened her eyes. "They don't mind? I mean, will they have room for us, I don't want to burden them…perhaps just Teddy should come with you?"

"No, they wanted both of you to come, Molly insisted," Harry explained.

Andromeda nodded, smiling as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "That's very, very nice of them, and you, Harry. It's been a little hard to think about Christmas for me, actually," she explained, her voice cracking.

Harry shifted his feet awkwardly. He knew that she was probably missing her husband, daughter, and son-in-law; he didn't know if he should say something, or what he would say if she expected him to. Guilt began to sink through him as he thought of all of them, and of her, alone without her family. Looking for something to focus on to distract himself from his thoughts, he turned back toward Teddy and stared at his God-son. The little boy suddenly looked up at Harry and, for a second, he felt like he saw Lupin's eyes looking back at him.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry to get all weepy on you, I didn't mean to make you feel bad," Andromeda whispered, moving over to hug him gently.

"That's all right," Harry said, returning her embrace and patting her clumsily on the back. "I understand if you don't want to, but we would love to have you."

"I think we will, we'll plan on coming then. It'll be good for Teddy, and good for me me, to be around people. Will Molly need any help? You know what, I'll just plan on coming over Christmas Eve to help out. Will you let her know? Oh, and this means I'll have to add some things to my list," she said, suddenly becoming consumed with planning. "What will I do with Teddy? He just hates shopping with me, every time we go to get groceries or anything he just fights and cries, poor dear."

"Do you need an afternoon away? I bet that-"

"Oh would you? Could you take him for the afternoon? You could take him to Grimmauld Place if you need to be home, he won't mind. He's Apparated with me before, he handles it quite well. Could you do that? It would help me out so much," she asked, a broad smile lighting up her face.

Harry had meant to say that Mrs. Weasley probably wouldn't mind watching Teddy, but now that he thought of it, he probably could watch him as well. "Sure, that would be fine. Um…does he need anything?" Harry asked glancing at the boy playing on the floor, whom, all of a sudden, looked much more intimidating than Harry had originally thought.

"Yes, he'll be getting sleepy soon, so he'll want a blanket; and I'll pack a bottle for him and some diapers and a few of his toys," she said pulling out her wand. She flicked it at his blocks which all packed themselves into a bag she had summoned at the same time. She also waved her wand toward the kitchen and Harry watched as several pieces of cloth folded themselves neatly into the bag and a bottle of milk flew and packed itself into the side. At the disappearance of his toys, Teddy began to protest quietly and started to crawl over to where Harry stood.

"Up you get, little man," Andromeda said a she picked up him up and handed him to Harry. Harry struggled to arrange the child in his arms, he hadn't held him properly since the funerals had taken place, preferring to sit on the floor and interact with him in play rather than pick him up. He was shocked at how much he weighed and how squirmy he was at first, but Teddy soon adjusted himself to where he was comfortable and put an arm onto Harry's shoulder, staring at him curiously.

"He's a very easy baby, you'll be fine. If he starts to cry and he doesn't want to play, just warm up his bottle and he'll go right to sleep if you sit with him," Andromeda explained as she smiled and handed Harry the bag.

"Right…er, what time do you want me to bring him back?" Harry asked.

"I'll just stop by and get him when I'm done. I shouldn't be terribly long. Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all, take as long as you need," Harry said, smiling at the baby who was starting to reach for his glasses and babble quietly.

"Harry, this is very nice of you. It's good to see you," Andromeda said as she walked him back toward the front door. "Hopefully when things get more settled for you, Teddy can visit more often?"

"Of course, anytime," Harry said with a smile. "I'll see you later, then?"

"Yes, I'll stop by when I'm done. Bye love, be good for Harry, okay?" Andromeda said as she kissed Teddy on his chubby, rose colored cheeks. Harry waved to her as he walked toward the street again, pulling the child's hat more snugly around his ears and wrapping him in his blanket to protect him from the cold.

When Harry reached an inconspicuous spot, he turned on the spot to Apparate to Grimmauld Place, holding the child tightly in his arms. When they emerged, Teddy whimpered slightly again before starting to cry and clutch at Harry's shoulders. He looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, and tears began to leak from the corners of his brown eyes.

"Shhh, shhh…it's all right," Harry said as they walked to the door. He tried to soothe the baby, but Teddy seemed frightened by something and whimpered in-between his increasingly loud sobs. By the time Harry had managed to pull out his wand and unlock the door, Teddy had begun to cry in earnest and squirm in his arms.

"Harry? Is that you?" Ginny's voice called from the living room. "What's that noise?"

Harry didn't answer as he tried to calm the now screaming baby. The bag was slipping from his shoulder and he couldn't remove his cloak or the baby's hat which seemed to be frustrating Teddy even more; he was pulling at the straps and clawing at his face. Harry was relieved when he saw Ginny and Ron move into the hallway and gasp at him.

"Is that Teddy?" Ginny exclaimed as she walked quickly toward him. "Blimey, he's huge!"

"And he's loud! What did you do to the poor kid?" Ron asked walking slowly over.

"Nothing! We Apparated from Andromeda's house, and he just got upset," Harry said still struggling to hold onto the screaming child, the bag, his cloak and other items.

"Well, Apparition is enough to make me cry," Ginny said. She grinned and reached for Teddy who moved easily into her arms, still crying loudly. "Hi there, little one, it's all right…shhh…shhh" she cooed at him as she moved into the living room.

Harry removed his cloak and shoes and began to look around in the bag for toys as he followed Ginny into the living room. Ron walked slowly behind him, watching the baby cautiously.

A small crack filled the room, and Kreacher appeared looking around at the source of commotion. "Is everything all right Master Harry. Kreacher thought he heard…well, who is this?" Kreacher asked, adopting a completely different, and much softer, tone of voice as he eyed the baby.

"This is Teddy Lupin," Ginny explained as she bounced him gently in her arms.

"The grandson of Andromeda Black?" Kreacher said, his eyes widening.

"The very one," Ron replied watching Kreacher curiously.

"Hello, little one. Master Harry, will he be staying with us?" Kreacher asked as he watched Ginny with the baby, a look of awe on his face.

"For a few hours, Andromeda needed to do some shopping. Why?"

"It has been so long since Kreacher has seen a child, he had forgotten how precious they are. Is he needing to eat, or be changed? Kreacher will be glad to make him some cereal or a bottle if he is hungry," the elf offered staring at the child with a look of amazement on his face.

"Um…I don't know, Andromeda gave me a bottle, but she said he wouldn't need it until his nap," Harry said. Kreacher moved toward the bag Harry held and removed the bottle.

"I bet he would eat some cereal, but do we have anything that we can mix?" Ginny asked looking from Harry to Kreacher.

"Kreacher will make him something to eat. Try patting his back and swaying Miss Ginny; the Black babies is always liking that motion. Master Regulus was such a good baby, Kreacher remembers…" the elf muttered as he began to walk toward the kitchen, reminiscing about Regulus as an infant.

Ron and Harry glanced at each other and watched Ginny try Kreacher's suggestion. Soon enough the child began to calm down and laid his head on her shoulder, chewing on his fist as he relaxed and mumbling quietly.

"Huh," Ron commented. "That seemed to work. Well, this ought to be interesting," he said with a grin as he moved toward Ginny who continued to sway back and forth.

"I didn't expect him to cry like that, I've never been around babies," Harry confessed. "I wonder if I did something to bother him."

"I'm sure you were fine, Harry. He's probably just hungry, or scared. Like I said, Apparation would be enough to make me cry," she teased.

"At least you two seem to know what you're doing," he replied walking over to join her and Ron.

"Ginny does. Me, not so much. I always tended to stay away when cousins came around with the babies," Ron confessed. He continued to stare at Teddy curiously, like he'd never seen anything like him.

"Yes; you, Fred, and George were always scared of the big, bad, babies," Ginny said rolling her eyes. "No worries. He's fine now, aren't you?" Ginny said smiling at Teddy and nuzzling his nose.

Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched her with Teddy. It was effortless for her to coo and cuddle with him; he felt a strain of guilt that he didn't seem to have the same ability.

"Here, Harry, take him. Don't be afraid, you didn't do anything wrong," Ginny said handing him back to her.

It was easier this time for Harry to take the Teddy from her hands and place him in his arms, letting his weight rest on one hip. Teddy stared at his new surroundings curiously, eyeing the different colors and furniture. His eyes finally came to rest on Harry's face, and he stared intently at him.

"What do you think, Teddy? Is everything to your liking?" Harry asked with a smile. Teddy returned the smile as he reached forward and grabbed Harry's glasses, pulling them from his face before Harry could turn away.

Ron and Ginny laughed as Kreacher bustled back into the room with cereal for the baby. He instructed Harry to sit him down on the table and Kreacher climbed onto the chair and stood smiling at him. Harry watched as Kreacher fed Teddy a few bites of the mushy oatmeal he had made before offering to take the spoon himself. Harry finished feeding him with minimal trouble, except when Teddy got a hold of the spoon Harry was using and flung oatmeal all over Ron who stood watching. When the baby was finished, they sat him down on the floor, gave him toys to play with, and watched him examine the blocks and stack them into towers before knocking them down.

"That's the best part of it," Ron said as he helped Teddy stack a small tower and watched him knock it over. "The destruction, that's what I always enjoyed."

"It must be a boy thing," Ginny commented from her spot on the floor. "I remember always getting my blocks knocked over when I would build something."

"Yeah, and then you would get so mad that you'd lose control and ruin all our toys as well," Ron said with a small grin.

"Served you right," Ginny replied sticking her tongue out at him.

It made Harry laugh to hear them talk about their childhood and the things they did to one another. It was much nicer to hear about their upbringing than think about his own. After a while Teddy became bored with his toys and crawled to each one of them in turn to use as a standing post. He had just made his way over to Ron and was standing holding on to his shoulder bouncing when they heard the door open and Hermione walked in.

"It's absolutely freezing out. I swear it has…oh my goodness! Is that Teddy?" she exclaimed as she walked into the living room.

"Gotten big, hasn't he?" Harry said as he watched her walk over to where they all stood.

Hermione discarded her coat and knelt down beside Ron. Teddy stood and holding onto him with one hand while the other reached for the paper that lay on a nearby table. "Looks like you're being useful to him, Ron," she teased.

"At least I'm good for something," Ron smiled.

Hermione grinned as Ron tickled the little boy in the ribs. Teddy laughed loudly and reached for Ron's hair; he dodged his tiny fingers and tickled him again. Hermione grinned as she watched the exchange between the two. She never imagined Ron playing with a child, and it made her heart feel warm to watch him.

"Goodness, he has gotten big," she said as she took a seat. "Come here, Teddy. Let me see you," Hermione said holding out her hands.

Teddy looked at her, still holding on to Ron's shoulder. Suddenly, he reached out for Hermione's outstretched hands, let go of Ron, and took three deliberate steps before tumbling into Hermione's arms.

All four of them let out an uproarious noise at the sight of Teddy walking. He looked around confused before laughing at them all and clapping his tiny hands together. Ginny moved over beside Hermione and held out her hands, encouraging him to come to her. Again, Teddy took a few steps toward her before tumbling into her arms. The four of them arranged themselves in a circle and allowed Teddy to walk, stumbling with each step, between them. They laughed and clapped at him and he seemed to be enjoying himself immensely.

Teddy had made about eight rounds when he finally moved back toward Harry and leaned against him, rubbing his eyes with his fists.

"He is getting sleepy, Master Harry," said Kreacher, who had been watching the activity quietly from the corner. The elf clicked his fingers and the bottle flew from the bag into his hand, along with Teddy's blanket. "Here, he needs rocked to sleep," Kreacher explained handing the items to Harry.

"Er…okay," Harry said as he took the blanket in one hand and the bottle in the other. "What do I do? How do I pick him up?"

"Harry, go sit in the rocking chair," Ginny said. She stood up and took Teddy into her arms, following behind Harry as he moved to the chair. "Move your arm…there you go. Now, just let him sit in next to you and drink and he'll probably fall asleep," she explained as she handed Teddy to him.

Teddy reached for his bottle and blanket, he snuggled the blanket up against his face and held his bottle up and began to drink. Instinctively, Harry began to rock the chair gently with his feet. It wasn't five minutes before Teddy's eyes began to droop shut and he was sleeping.

Ginny smiled as she watched Harry; seeing him hold the little boy and watch him with such fondness was sweet, and somehow, incredibly sexy. She sighed to herself as she thought about how he felt holding the child, wondering if he would ever want children of his own.

"Ginny? We probably should go see Mum and Dad. They mentioned they might need us to pick up some things while were still in London," Ron said quietly.

"That's right. Okay, let's go," she said with a small sigh.

"I'll come with you guys, we'll let you take care of him, Harry. He's sleeping and I'll just be noisy if I stay; I don't want to bother him," Hermione said, grinning at Harry.

"Wha…uh…what do I do with him?" Harry asked in a slight panic.

"Just hold him," Ginny suggested. "Or lay him on the couch; just make sure he doesn't fall off. You'll be fine, Harry, you're doing well with him, don't worry," she said with a smile.

"Will you guys be back?"

"Later this evening probably," Ginny said.

"We'll come back, after mum has given us a three foot long list of things to get," Ron said rolling his eyes.

Harry laughed and nodded as they moved to the fireplace. Ron and Hermione threw powder into the hearth and whispered "The Burrow" before vanishing from sight. Ginny leaned around Teddy's sleeping figure and kissed Harry gently before following them.

Harry adjusted Teddy so he was snuggled in the crook of his arm. He took the bottle from him and set it on the table before wrapping the blanket more snugly around him. Kreacher stepped over and took the bottle, smiling at Harry as he walked toward the kitchen.

"Master Harry will be good father someday, Kreacher can tell," the elf said in a quiet voice.

Harry smiled to himself. He looked down at the sleeping infant who was now sucking his thumb as he slept. Harry felt a mixture of joy and guilt as he watched him sleep, his eyelids fluttering slightly as he dreamed. He'd seen his first steps today, and now Teddy was snuggled against him, when he should have been snuggled against Tonks or Lupin.

The guilt didn't have too much time to overwhelm Harry. About ten minutes after Ron, Hermione and Ginny had left for the burrow, there was a quiet knock on the door of Grimmauld Place.

Harry stiffened and expected the portrait of Sirius's mother to start screaming, but Kreacher Apparated upstairs to silence it before moving toward the front door.

"Good Afternoon, Miss Andromeda," he greeted in a low voice. "Please come in."

"Thank you, Kreacher," Andromeda said, her tone of voice slightly shocked. She moved into the living room and smiled as she saw Harry sitting holding Teddy.

"Oh, you're a natural Harry, look at you," She grinned as she moved toward them. Harry smiled, he didn't feel like a natural, but he did enjoy holding Teddy much more than he thought he would.

"Was he any trouble?"

"No, none at all. We fed him some oatmeal, he played and drank some of his bottle and then went to sleep. He walked between Ron, Hermione, Ginny and myself for a while. It was pretty-"

"Oh, he walked? He actually took steps?" Andromeda whispered in an excited voice. "I knew it would be soon, I just didn't think that soon! How exciting that you got to see it!"

"Yeah, it was cool," Harry said with a grin.

"Aw, they get so big so fast," she sighed, gently stroking the top of Teddy's head. "Well, I suppose I'll take him and we can let you be. Thank you so much for watching him, I was able to go to the Burrow and talk to Molly about plans and I picked up some stuff for her, it was nice to get out. Here, I have some gold for you for-"

"No," Harry said firmly, pushing her hand away from him. "This was great for me; I need to spend more time with him. Don't ever think you have to give me gold, and please let me know anytime you need a break. I had fun with him, we all did," he assured her with a smile.

Andromeda returned the grin. "Are you sure?" she asked, offering Harry the money which he pushed away again. "All right then, you know I will take you up on that "break" offer," she teased. "Thanks again, Harry. It was good to see you, and we'll see you again in a few days."

Harry gently laid Teddy in Andromeda's outstretched arms. The baby stirred, but did not wake. Harry got the bag and supplies and helped Andromeda gather his things before escorting her to the door and watching them leave.

Harry sighed as he turned back to the hall. He wandered upstairs to his room and walked straight to the picture that was stuck to the wall.

His father stood arm and arm with Sirius and Lupin (Harry no longer noticed Pettigrew in the picture). He looked over Lupin's features, noting how Teddy had inherited his eyes and jaw line. The boy's hair, cheeks, and smile were all Tonks', though. It was a perfect combination of the two of them.

The guilt began to sink into Harry's chest as he stared at the picture of his father and friends. It seemed ironic that he, Harry, who had such a neglectful upbringing with the Dursley's, was now helping to provide another orphaned child with love and support. He did love the little boy, he wasn't sure how he felt before, but he knew it was love. Love because he was part of Lupin, who had been such an influence in Harry's life and his decision; love because he was part of Tonks, who had brought laughter and lessons to Harry's life. And love because the boy's life had started out so much like Harry's had. Both orphans as a result of Voldemort; both sent to live with the only remaining family they had. But where Harry was unloved and unwanted, Teddy was cherished and treasured. Harry wanted to be a part of that, he wanted to be a part of his life, help raise him and give him things that he'd never had as a child.

Thinking of Teddy made Harry also think about children that he could potentially have one day. He wondered vaguely what characteristics they would inherit from him. But overall, as he stared at the picture of his father and his friends, he wanted to make sure that he would be around as long as possible for his children. He promised to himself that they would never know the feeling of loss that both he and Teddy Lupin had learned at such a young age.

"Harry?"

Harry turned over his shoulder to see Ginny standing in his doorway, watching him with a curious expression.

"You all right?" she asked as she walked toward him slowly.

Harry nodded. "Just thinking," he told her.

"About Lupin? And Tonks?" she asked reaching for his hand.

He nodded again. "And Teddy, and my childhood…and the things he and I have in common, and things we don't."

Ginny nodded, she moved closer to Harry and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Lupin and Tonks wanted you to be a part of his life, that's why they chose you as Godfather. All you have to do is love him, and you do, so don't feel guilty," she said reading his thoughts.

Harry nodded again, sighing quietly as he wondered how she could read his mind.

"He's such a cute little one," she cooed.

Harry wrapped his arms around her, laying his head against her hair. "Yes, he is. But, I bet ours will be cuter," he said softly. Ginny smiled to herself, she hadn't said it out loud, but she'd been thinking the same thing.


	20. Christmas

**Christmas**

**

* * *

  
**

It was early Christmas morning, the sun had not yet come up and the trees were covered with frost. Most of the residents of the nearby village of Ottery St. Catchpole were still sleeping. But there was much activity on a small residence just outside the city limits.

"I can't believe this!" Mrs. Weasley squealed. "I just can't believe this! It's amazing, it's … how did you manage this? Oh boys, Arthur, thank you! Thank you so much," she said wiping her eyes with her apron.

Harry stood with Ron and his brothers, watching Mrs. Weasley flutter her hands and weep over her present. They had all pitched in and expanded the Burrow to have a larger living and dining room, with the bedrooms balanced more evenly on top. There was now enough room on the ground floor for a larger dining room table (one that would seat 20 people if needed), and the living room now held three brand new couches, and five new chairs. It had been a tough to get Mrs. Weasley away from the house long enough for the magical construction workers to make the adjustments and the movers to Apparate in the furniture. When she had returned, the shock of her house changed so dramatically had rendered her speechless for five minutes.

"You're welcome mum, and we'll come over often so you can use them," George told her as she moved to hug them all in turn.

After the excitement had died down over the main gift, Harry, Hermione, and the Weasley's proceeded inside to begin preparing the Christmas meal, their guests were to arrive later that morning. Andromeda arrived around 9:00 with a very active and curious Teddy in tow with her. She passed him off to Harry and set about helping to prepare the meal, along with Hermione, Ginny, Fleur and Angelina Johnson (who had accompanied George). Mr. and Mrs. Granger arrived around ten o'clock and offered to help, but Mr. Weasely was so excited to have them he insisted that they just relax and watch the activity.

"No, you two just have a seat and relax. We'll take care of everything, there's no need for you to do anything, it must be so tiring to do it all without magic," he said as he passed them both a glass of wine. Hermione smiled and sat down by her parents and talk with them about dinner and their plans the next few days.

A few hours later the kitchen was alive with delicious smells and bustling with activity. "I think everything is ready, it just needs to heat up and the turkey needs to finish. So we can all relax for a bit," Mrs. Weasley said, wiping her brow. "Have a seat, girls, and thanks for all your help. Andromeda, has Teddy shown any of Tonks' ability for morphing?" she asked as she poured a glass of wine for herself and Andromeda and sat down at her new table.

Ginny moved to sit next to Harry on the couch while Angelina sat down next to George and Hermione to Ron. They began to play a game of exploding snap as Mr. and Mrs. Granger watched with interested eyes.

About an hour later, smells were wafting from the kitchen and everyone was starting to get hungry. "Everything should be ready now. Ginny, will you help me get the food settled?" Her mom suddenly asked.

"Of course I will," Ginny said in a cheery voice.

Her mom glanced at her curiously. When all the main dishes and side dishes were arranged around Mrs. Weasley's new table, she smiled in satisfaction. "It's so nice to have a table this big, it makes everything so easy!"

"Yes, I'll bet it does; I'm glad you like it, mum," Ginny said, grinning broadly.

Mrs. Weasley glanced at her curiously. "You're awfully cheery? Is there news that I should be aware of?" she asked, sneaking a flickering glance at Ginny's fingers.

"It's Christmas, I'm just glad we're all here," Ginny said with a small smile.

Everyone took their places at the table and began to eat. The food was delicious, Ginny wondered if her mom's good mood had leaked into her cooking. Everything seemed to melt in her mouth as she enjoyed the meal.

Harry and Ron were teasing George and Angelina about making her pay rent for staying at Grimmauld Place so often. Hermione and Ron kept whispering quietly to each other, with Hermione blushing every few minutes. Ginny wondered whether they were discussing something private or if Hermione was just thrilled that this was the first holiday she'd spent as Ron's girlfriend. Her parents sat next to her, slightly bemused by all the magical talk, but relaxed in the atmosphere. Of course, her father insisted on sitting next to Mr. and Mrs. Granger and bombarding them with questions about Muggle life, especially their careers.

"That has to be just fascinating to watch teeth change as we age," he said in awe, as they told him of some patients they had known since birth.

Percy had been lucky enough to be awarded a job in Kingsley's new administration; he was an assistant Liaison for the International Wizarding Regulation Committee. He proudly discussed how he had communicated all the new laws Kingsley had put into place and encouraged other countries to adapt the same, and managed to make connections with Parliaments' in France, Germany and the Kremlin in Russia to form an International Dark Arts Watch force.

"Harry, we'll need you and Lansing to communicate thoroughly with us on all the cases that arise. Should any of the criminals leave the country, the other Liaisons I've been working with will notify their law departments to assist in capture," he explained to Harry, who smiled and rolled his eyes when Percy wasn't looking.

Andromeda sat between Harry and Mrs. Weasley, smiling as Mrs. Weasley encouraged Teddy to try everything on his plate and laughing when he began to fling food across the table. Ginny stifled a laugh as Bill and Fleur widened their eyes at the child's activities.

"Oh, he's just being a boy, so silly," Mrs. Weasley said fondly.

Dinner began to wind down; everyone seemed to have their fill as they began to relax back into their chairs. Eventually, plates were cleared up and Mrs. Weasley set a pair of rags and brushes to washing the dishes. Everyone had buried themselves in chatter or other activities, and Ginny found herself standing in the doorway staring out at the clear night sky and the moon reflecting off the snow. She felt long arms suddenly snake around her waist, and smiled as Harry's chin rested on her shoulder.

"Have a good Christmas?" he whispered into her ear.

"Yes, I did. Thank you again for the cloak; you have no idea how handy that will be," she said, smiling as she leaned against him. With Lansing's help, Harry had been able to find her a top of the line Invisibility Cloak after she had told him of her constant pestering from her roommates and other girls.

"Should have gotten one for Hermione, too," he said. She chuckled and they both glanced over at the couch where Ron and Hermione sat, nervously holding hands, while Mr. and Mrs. Granger were engaged in conversation with Ron's parents.

Ginny laid her head against Harry's chest, sighing deeply as he hugged her. There was a small tug on her jeans from a tiny set of hands; she looked down to see Teddy using her to stand up. She reached down and ruffled his hair playfully.

Harry and Ginny pulled apart slightly as Andromeda approached them, smiling gently. "It's getting awfully late; I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your parents' hospitality, Ginny, this has been just wonderful for both Teddy and I," she grinned.

"You're welcome; Mum says you both are welcome to stop by anytime you need anything," Ginny said with a smile. She watched Harry reach down to pick up the toddling child, and instinctively turn his head as Teddy reached for his glasses.

"He's getting sleepy, we'd best be off I guess," Andromeda said, looking at Teddy as he rubbed his eyes with one hand and reached for Harry's glasses with another.

"Yes, I expect he is getting a bit sleepy. Poor dear didn't get much of a nap," Mrs. Weasley said as she approached them all. "Ginny's right, Andromeda, anytime you want company or need a break, feel free to visit. We love to see you and Teddy as well," she added, reaching out to tickle him gently. He had snuggled against Harry's shoulder and was starting to suck his thumb.

"Thank you so much, Molly; it's been so good for me to be around people," Andromeda replied. She held out her hands and Teddy came right to her, arranging himself on her shoulder and resuming his thumb sucking. Harry ruffled the child's hair and waved to them as they wandered out the door and into the night.

Ginny and Harry wandered to the living room and joined in the game of snap that everyone else was playing. Time passed quickly; soon enough it was past midnight, and Mrs. Weasley was sending everyone off to bed. They followed Ron and Hermione up the stairs to the highest room, watching as they kissed and hugged before whispering good night and moved into their separate sleeping quarters. Ginny and Harry repeated the act and followed behind them.

"You all right?" Ginny asked Hermione as she crossed the room to her bed and sat down on it.

She nodded. "Yes, I'm just tired. It was good to see my parents and everyone; it was really great of your mum and dad to invite them with all those people here."

"Are your parents holding up okay? All that magic and chaos…it's got to be a bit overwhelming," Ginny said taking a seat on her own bed.

"Yes, they're fine; they seem to take everything in stride. I remember the first time I stayed here when all of your family was home, it was before the Quidditch cup, and Charlie and Bill were playing with those picnic tables! Scared me to death," Hermione laughed quietly.

"I had forgotten about that! I guess I've just always included you as a fixture in our family I didn't think about how you would react to it. That's funny," Ginny agreed. "Well, you're part of the family now, so we'll have to give your parents a proper magical introduction when summer arrives."

Hermione grinned. "They'd be thrilled, I bet. But I'm not really family, I'm just-"

"Oh, come off it, you know it's only a matter of time before Ron asks you to marry him. Or…I guess that depends on you saying yes. I forgot about that part," she said quietly.

"You think so?"

"Would you say yes?"

Hermione rested her chin in her hands. "I never pictured myself getting married this young, I'm only nineteen. I still have to get a job, and all that before I think about settling down, right?"

"True," Ginny agreed. "But, there's always time for those things. Granted, you should have them before you have a baby, but getting married…Fleur was young, only twenty."

Hermione nodded, smiling slightly. "Well, it all depends on when he asks I guess…or if he asks, I should say," she grinned.

Ginny sighed as she glanced toward the door. Hermione shuffled into her pajamas and crawled under her sheets.

"You don't really want to sleep on that do you?" Ginny asked.

"Do I have other options? You want to trade?" Hermione asked, slightly confused.

"You could trade with Harry," Ginny suggested.

Hermione laughed. "I'm not sure how your mum and dad would feel about that," she said, glancing toward the door.

"It's not like you haven't slept in there before," Ginny reminded her.

"Technically, that was all four of us, and we were up well before your parents were," Hermione said.

"You could Apparate over there, and Harry could come back here. How would they know?"

"When they came to wake us, they'd know," Hermione explained.

"It's the day after Christmas, they'll let us sleep. Or, cast an alarm spell to wake you up and come back over here," said Ginny.

Hermione chewed her lip and glanced at the door again. The idea was tempting, and she knew how to set an alarm spell. But still, what would Ron think? If they did get caught, what would happen? Ron's and Ginny's parents had been so gracious to her and her parents; she didn't want to betray their trust.

"They won't wake us. Plus even if they did catch us, they would probably just roll their eyes and let it go. You know Ron would prefer you in there," Ginny said.

Hermione stood and walked toward the door. She glanced over her shoulder at Ginny and grinned. "You're a bad influence, you know that?"

"I try my hardest," she laughed. With that Hermione disappeared with a crack.

Ron had jumped on to his bed, dodging Harry's jelly-legs jinx that he had shot at him after he'd said something about Harry's clothing mishap story he had learned about at the Ministry ball. They had both changed into their pajama bottoms and had begun to taunt each other about various things which resulted in several minor jinxes being flung at each other.

"Thought you'd have better aim, you might need to work on that before – ahhhh!" Ron shouted as he was suddenly turned upside down, hung by his ankle.

"How was my aim that time?" Harry asked with a small laugh.

Ron was about to fire a jinx back at Harry when, suddenly, a loud crack resounded throughout his room and Hermione appeared. Harry jumped and flourished his wand, causing Ron to fall into a heap on his bed as he cursed loudly.

"SHHH!!! SHH!! Goodness! I knew this was a bad idea, I-"

"Bloody hell, Hermione! What are you doing?" Ron whispered loudly, breaking into a wide smile.

"It was Ginny's idea! I was going to come and sleep in here, trade places with Harry, but now you were being too loud and we're going to get caught and-"

"Calm down!" Ron whispered. "My parents are asleep! They'll sleep like the dead tonight with all the action they had today. Seriously? You're going to sleep here?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time; and yes, I suppose… unless you two want to continue your little game. What were you doing anyway?" Hermione asked, looking at them both curiously.

"I was just teasing Harry about his ability to make his clothes disappear. I was saying it would probably come in handy when he finally –"

"Shut up," Harry laughed, sitting back on his bed. "At least if the opportunity arises I'll be ready," he said causing Ron to narrow his eyes and Hermione to laugh quietly.

"So…um, I guess, I'll just … go, then?" Harry said glancing at Hermione and Ron.

"That was the general idea, yes," Hermione replied. "Get some sleep."

"You two, as well," Harry teased as he stood and walked toward the door and vanished. Ron leapt to his feet and grabbed Hermione round the waist, pulling her into bed with him as she laughed quietly.

As soon as Harry was relinquished from the pressing darkness he realized he had forgotten his shirt in Ron's room. He was about to Apparate back to Ron's room and fetch it when Ginny's voice whispered out to him in the darkness.

"Harry? That is you right?"

"Yes," he whispered back. He wandered over to her bed where she lay curled up under the covers. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I just got cold, so I covered up," she said turning to face him. She pulled back the covers on her small bed and slid to the side to allow him to lie next to her. As soon as he lay down, he pulled the covers around them both and snuggled against her. She curled into his arms and pressed her hands against his bare chest.

"Merlin's beard, Ginny! You're hands are freezing," he whispered loudly, cringing slightly as they touched his skin.

"Sorry," she whispered withdrawing them. Harry's hands found hers and held them between his to warm them up. He moved so he could look at her eyes and smiled.

"It's okay, I just didn't expect that. I didn't realize your room got so cold."

"Yes, it does in the winter. Hence, the pajamas I'm wearing," she said indicating to her sweat pants, thick socks, and long sleeved shirt she wore.

"Hmm, I liked your white nightgown better," Harry teased.

"Well I'm not putting it on, so you'll just have to imagine," she teased back, kissing him gently.

He relinquished his hold on her hands and pulled her closer to him, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist. She pressed her lips against the indentation of his collar bones and sighed, snuggling against his chest. They lay wrapped in each others arms, completely silent for a few moments.

"Ginny?"

"Yes?"

"What was Christmas like last year for you?" Harry asked quietly.

Ginny straightened herself around to look at Harry's face. His eyes seemed to be focused on something far away; she could read curiosity and sadness in them.

"It was…Christmas I guess. Nothing much happened, we spent the entire time wondering about you three, but no one said much. Dad was really stressed out," she remembered. "He hated going into the office- he said he thought they were tracking all of our family movements and it made him nervous for all of us every time there was any contact from the order, which wasn't often."

"You were being tracked. I warned him," Harry added. "When we broke into the Ministry I saw your family on a list of people that were being watched in case I contacted them."

"We all figured that, but no matter. Other than that, it was strange, but fine I guess," she finished watching his response curiously. He nodded and finally met her gaze, giving her a small smile.

"Is that when Ron…ran out on you guys?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, around then is when he left. He came back right after New Year, I think; I'm not sure of the dates exactly," Harry admitted.

"What was it like for you? On Christmas, I mean," Ginny asked curiously.

Harry sighed thoughtfully. "Hermione and I went to Godric's Hollow on Christmas Eve. We didn't know what day it was until we got there. Church was being let out, and there were carolers."

"That must have been hard, to be so close to people and … not be able to be with anyone," Ginny said snuggling back into his chest again.

"It was," he said. "We went to my parents' graves, and where my old house was," he added, his voice getting quieter.

Ginny nodded and pulled back again to look at him. "How was that?"

Harry's eyes, which had begun to stare into the distance again, locked back with hers. "It was…I don't know, I can't really describe it. It was a relief to see that place, but it was also hard…so hard. We were in disguise, hiding from Voldemort and everyone else, and I…I guess I don't know how it felt," he confessed.

"You know, Harry, with everything that happened after that," Ginny started, and then paused, not knowing what to say. "You didn't really have time to absorb it. We'll go back, you can actually visit now, and not have to worry about being in disguise, or any of that," she tried to assure him.

He smiled gently and pulled her closer to him. "Yeah, I think it just hit me how different this Christmas and last Christmas were for me. Last year I was fighting for my life, and this year…"

"This year, you have your life back," Ginny said. Harry smiled and kissed her softly. "We'll go back Harry, we'll visit soon."

"I know; it's not urgent. I was just thinking," Harry said pulling her closer. "Amazing how much difference a year can make."

Ginny nodded and laid her head against his chest. They were silent for a few more moments, and then her mind began to question things.

"Harry?"

He chuckled lightly. "Yes?"

"I probably annoyed you for years, your best friend's little sister who had a crush on you and all that," she started. Harry rolled onto his back and pulled her with him, holding her tightly against him. She placed her hands on his chest and laid her head against them, looking into his emerald colored eyes which were full of curiosity. "Is that an accurate description?"

"No," he said thoughtfully.

"No?"

"No, I never found you annoying. To be honest, I was so focused on everything else that was happening around me that I didn't have time to think about it," he confessed.

Ginny nodded, biting her lip as she thought. "When did that change?"

Harry tilted his head and thought. He remembered when he realized Ginny spoke in front of him finally, and recalled the hours they spent in the orchard playing Quidditch with Ron and Hermione. He thought of her causing him to laugh all those times as she mocked Fleur, teased Ron, her antics on the Quidditch pitch, and all the times he spent with her when she was just…herself.

"I think there may have been something stirring in me during my fifth year. But, as always, I was too distracted to recognize it. But I think, for me, it actually began the summer before last…when I spent all summer here practically, and all four of us spent so much time together. I definitely didn't realize it until I saw you kissing Dean though, I think I told you about that," he said laughing lightly.

"You mentioned it, but what set it off? I mean, what caught your attention?" she asked curiously.

"You," he said simply, brushing a hair from her face. "You caught my attention. You make me laugh, you don't sugar coat things, and you put me in my place when I'm angry over nothing. You're smart, beautiful…what's not to grab my attention?"

Ginny smiled and pressed her lips to his bare skin again. "Nothing I suppose, I just got to thinking about the irony of us and wondered where it began."

"Irony?"

"The irony that I used to dream about you even talking to me, and now you're laying half naked in my bed," she teased.

"That is ironic," Harry laughed. "So, when did it start for you?"

"Since I met you," she said sarcastically, thinking he was teasing her.

"No, I'm serious. You told me you tried to forget me, you moved on. What changed?"

Ginny considered him thoughtfully. "Well, I distinctly remember thinking I'd never have a chance, and that's when Michael took an interest in me. It seemed an easy way to get over you," she shrugged.

"You used him?" Harry teased melodramatically.

"Right," she replied rolling her eyes. "After that, when Dean and I got together, I was a bit more interested in him. But that got really old really quick, he was always treating me like I couldn't handle myself or I couldn't do anything. He was nice enough, but it just wasn't going to work out regardless. You kind of helped it end quicker I suppose," she explained.

"How so?"

"You were always in the back of my head, just a dream, or a thought. Having spent the entire summer with you that year and all that time you spent with my family before that, I considered you a friend. You're noble and kind, handsome, all those things, so I didn't even have to consider why I should fancy you, I already knew, but I still didn't think you were interested. Then I started to pick up on things," she explained leaning on her hands again.

"I started to notice how you hung around after Quidditch to wait for me, and how you laughed at everything I said. You started to ask me to go places with you three, which confused me at first. Finally, Hermione actually said something to me about it; she must have known before I did. "

"What did she say?"

"She told me something about how you were asking a 'lot of questions' about a row Dean and I had. It made her suspicious," Ginny grinned.

Harry laughed and blushed slightly. "Hermione spends too much time over analyzing things."

"Well, it worked out to your advantage. She kept after me, asking me how I felt about you and all that. I tried to convince her, and myself, that I was over you. But she said 'Really? You're really over Harry? You'd tell him that if he walked up to you and kissed you right now?' It made me think. Then the next day, Dean and I argued, and I figured it wasn't working out anyway so I broke it off. Hermione told you of course, and gauged your reaction for me. After that I just decided to wait," she explained.

"Why? If you knew I fancied you, why didn't you come to me?" Harry asked.

"I'd already done that once before," she said simply. "This time it was your turn."

"Good point," Harry conceded. "And now here we are."

"Here we are," Ginny agreed laying her head against Harry's shoulder. He kissed her forehead and began to run his fingers through her hair. She felt her eyelids begin to get heavy as the tingly sensation ran its way through her body. His bare skin against hers was soothing, and she inhaled the scent that had ingrained itself into her memory. She thought about pressing him further about where they were, but sleep could no longer be ignored. She closed her eyes, and succumbed to the peace she felt when she was in his arms.


	21. New Beginnings

New Beginning

"Run" Snow Patrol

* * *

Ginny awoke the next morning to find herself curled up on her side facing the wall. When she tried to stretch, she realized that Harry's arms were still wrapped around her, his face nestled in her neck. Smiling happily, she gently rolled onto her other side to face him, causing him to stir slightly as she moved. Her lips pressed against his softly before moving to his jaw, and to his neck as she snuggled closer to him. He tightened his arms around her as she kissed along his collar bones, her fingers tracing imaginary lines across his chest.

"Morning," she whispered.

"Time is it?" he whispered back, his voice hoarse with sleep.

"No idea," she replied. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in the amount of light coming in from her window. "I'm guessing maybe around seven or seven-thirty."

Harry groaned quietly as she began kissing his neck again. "Too early," he muttered brushing her hair from her face as she moved back to his lips. She grinned as he kissed her back, laughing lightly against his lips.

Ginny pulled away slightly to say something else, but was pleasantly surprised when Harry moved with her to continue the kiss. Harry's arms squeezed her tighter, one hand on her lower back and the other around her shoulders, his fingers twisted in her hair; her lips parted in response to his enthusiasm. She felt the lingering effects of sleep begin to slip away as his hands started to explore her hips, back, and over her shoulders.

She wasn't sure how long they had been kissing when Harry started to move his lips toward her neck. She closed her eyes, but opened them immediately again when his hands moved to tug at the bottom of her shirt. She pulled away from him slightly, allowing his warm hands to travel up her body. She had forgotten that she was naked under her clothing when his hands reached her chest, and his fingers gently traced around her nipples.

Harry did not know what had come over him; maybe it was the overwhelming presence of her scent all around him, or the sensation of her lips against his. But as soon as his hands felt how warm her bare skin was, he slid moved them back down to the bottom of the cotton fabric of her shirt, and gently tugged it upward. She obligingly lifted her arms as he pulled it over her head. Ginny moved to cover herself in a fit of sudden shyness; but before she could wrap her arms around chest, Harry grasped her wrists gently, and pulled her arms around his neck. He then wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her against him tightly; the feel of her bare skin against his causing his whole body to quiver in anticipation.

Ginny sighed as Harry squeezed her tightly, pressing the warm skin of his chest against her now naked torso. She pulled his lips back to hers, expecting him to react aggressively, but was surprised by the decreased urgency of his kissing. Her eyes sought out his and she looked at him curiously. He smiled as he slid his hands up her waist and over the sides of her ribs, his fingers tickling her as he traced lines along her skin.

"Good morning," Ginny whispered to fill the silence and calm her own nerves.

Harry laughed gently. "Morning," he muttered as he stroked his thumbs along the side of her breasts, which caused her to inhale sharply and close her eyes. He gently unwound his arms from her waist and kissed her again, moving his lips down her neck over her collar bones, and continuing lower until he pressed his lips against the gentle curve of her breast before moving to her nipple and taking it into his mouth.

Ginny closed her eyes became completely absorbed in the sensations that ran through her body. Her fingers curled in Harry's hair as she pulled him closer to her. He responded by caressing her skin with his hands and moving his mouth between her breasts, exploring the texture of her nipples with his tongue. She had no idea how long he spent kissing and caressing the curves of her torso, but eventually his hands slid down her waist and over her hips. He continued to kiss and explore the curves of her breasts, but began to play gently with the fabric of her sweat pants, before allowing his fingers to pull the material aside and slide his hand down along her bare hip.

She did not realize how rapid her breath had become until he moved back to kiss her again. When his lips found hers, she was unable to kiss him for any length of time. Her shallow gasps caused him to pause his movements; one arm slid around her waist, while the other hand gently traced at the edge of her underwear with his fingers.

"Are you okay?" he whispered eyeing her curiously. He watched as she opened her eyes and bit her lip shyly. "Do you want me to stop?" he asked, his body freezing against her.

She shook her head slowly, before hiding her face against his shoulder. She didn't want him to stop, but she was slightly scared of the lust running through her veins, and worried he would think her wanton for her exaggerated responses to his touch.

"I've never done this before," he confessed, leaning his head against hers gently.

"Neither have I," she said as she moved to look into his eyes.

Harry stared into her brown eyes, reading a mixture of longing and nervousness in their depths. He slowed the exploration his hands were aching for, wondering if, maybe, he should give into his _own_ insecurities and fears, which would allow her nervousness to fade more, before he attempted to explore the more hidden areas of her body.

Ginny allowed the fingers of one hand to trail down his arm toward the hand that was still tracing the line of her knickers. She twisted the fingers of her other hand into his hair in his hair, and glanced into his eyes, before kissing him gently and whispering, "I don't want you to stop, Harry."

Her words were a stimulant to his already active fantasies. Pressing his lips firmly against hers, he pulled her against him with the arm wrapped around her waist, and allowed his other hand to continue its path of exploration. He pulled aside the fabric he had been fingering, trailing his fingers lower until he reached the smooth skin of her inner thighs, and finally the apex between her legs. He watched Ginny's expression with hungry eyes, enjoying the rapid pace of her breathing against her skin when he caressed the soft folds of her skin. The heat and warmth of her body sent tingles through his core, and stirrings of desire he had only felt when he was with her encouraged him to slide one of his slender fingers inside of her, enjoying the gasp that escaped her lips when he did so.

Ginny gasped and closed her eyes, her head falling back as the sensations of Harry's touch overwhelmed her completely. Just as she requested, he didn't stop; he caressed her gently in places she had only imagined him touching before. She tried to control her breathing and pulled herself closer to him, pressing her forehead to his as he watched her expression. She again lost track of time as he continued to explore her, every so often pausing to kiss her lips gently, or just watch her as she breathed and rocked her hips in rhythm with his movements.

She was suddenly shocked by warmth spreading through her abdomen, and she bit her bottom lip as contractions of pleasure raced through her body. Harry was taken aback by the spasms he felt from within her body; but knew he had done something right as she tensed, and her breathing turned from shallow pants to quiet groans against his skin. When he felt her relax against him, he slid his hand up along her waist and pulled her close to him, burying his face in her shoulder and smiling to himself. Ginny withdrew her hand from around his neck and laid both her palms against his bare chest, snuggling her head against his skin and kissing his collar bones.

They lay quietly for a few minutes, allowing the pace of their breathing to slow. Harry ran his hands up and down her back, keeping her bare skin warm from the chill in the room.

"That was one hell of a wake up," Ginny whispered after a few minutes of silence. Harry stifled his laugher against her skin. "Can I ask what prompted that?"

"You can, but I can't tell you," he replied in a conspiratorial whisper.

She lifted her head to look at him skeptically. He grinned and kissed her nose. "Honestly, I'm not sure. Just something about the way you look in the morning, or the smell of you, or how I haven't been able to properly kiss you in so long just…made me wake up, I guess," he explained.

She smiled and laid her head against his chest again, listening to his breathing as he resumed stroking her hair. They enjoyed a few moments of silence, but then heard gentle footsteps descending the stairs. Ginny kissed Harry and sat up, pulling her shirt over her head quickly in response to the life in the hallway. She laughed at his frown when she lay back down next to him. "I have no idea who is coming, so I thought I'd better be decent," she explained.

"You were decent," he said kissing her again. There was a quiet knock at the door and Harry sighed as he broke the kiss. Ginny climbed over him and walked to her door, opening it just a crack to see Hermione and Ron standing outside it.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Did we wake you?"

"Yes," Ginny lied. "What time is it?"

"It's eight o'clock," Ron replied. "Is Harry asleep?" he asked.

"No, he's awake," she said, opening the door and eyeing them both quizzically. "Is something wrong?"

"Dunno," Ron said, glancing from her to Harry as he stood up and bowed his head sheepishly. "Harry, the strangest Patronus I've ever seen just visited my room looking for you," he explained, sitting down on the camp bed.

"What was it?"

"A Hippo…it was huge," Ron said, as Hermione giggled slightly.

Ginny laughed quietly and Harry smirked. "Did it say anything?" Harry asked, looking at Hermione and Ron quizzically.

"It said, 'Find Kingsley,' and then disappeared," Ron said.

"It's got to be someone from the office," Harry muttered, suddenly becoming concerned. "All it said was 'Find Kingsley?'"

"Yeah, then it just vanished," said Ron.

Harry crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes quizzically. Suddenly the door opened, and Mrs. Weasley peeked her head in. Harry and Ron both jumped, wondering if they were about to be yelled at for being in the girls' room.

"Oh, Harry, good, you are awake," she said in a relieved voice. "I thought I heard your voice. Have you all been up long?"

"No, just got up," Ron filled in glancing at Harry who nodded.

"Kingsley and Tim just arrived looking for you Harry. Kingsley said it was urgent; they sent a Patronus, but no one responded," she explained.

Harry nodded, glancing at Ginny, Ron, and Hermione before moving toward the door and downstairs. It wasn't until he arrived in the kitchen that he remembered he had no shirt.

"Vanish your clothes again, Potter?" Tim asked with a smirk.

Harry grimaced and was about to ask him to wait while he changed, when Ginny appeared at his side carrying a t-shirt, followed by Ron, Hermione and Mrs. Weasley. Tim grinned wider when he observed Ginny still in her pajamas, her face slightly flushed.

"Right. What's going on?" he asked, looking at Tim quizzically.

"Kingsley's talking with Arthur; I'll let him explain fully. But, long story short, there was an attack on a Muggle village near London," Tim explained, his tone becoming uncharacteristically serious.

"An attack?" Mrs. Weasley asked, her voice rising in pitch.

"Yes," Kingsley's voice responded, as he and Arthur walked into the kitchen from outside. "Sorry to disrupt your holiday, all of you. Harry, I know you specifically requested these two weeks off but I'd really like it if you could come with us today. I'm guessing it will only be a few hours," he said apologetically.

"Of course," Harry replied. "What's going on?"

"As Tim said, there's been an attack. We received a message from St. Mungo's early this morning that fifteen Muggles had been referred to them by a few of our contacts at a local Muggle hospital. They arrived with symptoms of poisoning, and were all behaving strangely in addition to the effects of whatever was given to them. The healer's haven't been able to determine exactly what was used, but they're having a hard time figuring out how so many Muggles received the same poison," Kingsley explained. Mrs. Weasley had her hands over her mouth and was shaking her head slowly. Harry nodded, glancing around at the rest of the crowd listening. Ginny's eyes were wide with shock as she looked over at Harry. Ron and Hermione stood motionless, both of them starting at Kingsley waiting to hear more.

"That's all we know at this point, we need to get to Mungo's to talk with the healer's. Lansing, Proudfoot, and Sabrina are in the village looking at how the poison could have been so widely distributed," Kingsley said as he began to pace. "How soon can you be ready, Harry?"

"Um…give me five minutes," Harry responded. He glanced at Ginny and headed up toward where his clothes were. He quickly changed into his jeans, and pulled on a sweater over his t-shirt. He was putting his socks on when Ginny entered the room quietly.

"I won't be gone long, I'll be back," he explained. He looked up expecting her to be upset, but her expression was worried rather than angry. "Ginny, it'll be okay. We just have to check it out, it's not a direct attack or anything like it used to be," he said as he got to his feet and hugged her.

"I know, but it's just odd. There's never been a poisoning of that many people before, it just seems so strange," she said quietly.

"I know, but I'll be back in a few hours, it will be fine," he said reassuringly.

She nodded and smiled. "Just…be careful, okay?" He nodded as they walked down the stairs together. Kingsley was gone, but Tim was waiting, talking with Ron and Hermione about what he knew.

"Ready?" he asked when Harry entered the room.

Harry nodded before kissing Ginny quickly, and waving to everyone standing in the kitchen as he wandered out the door, pulling his cloak and knapsack over his shoulders. They watched as he and Tim approached the end of the lane and Disapparated.

Harry inhaled deeply as he came out of the darkness. He glanced to his left to see Tim laughing loudly at his appearance.

"Something funny?" Harry asked glancing around.

"Why didn't you respond to my Patronus?" Tim asked as they began to walk toward the door to St. Mungo's. He was still chuckling to himself.

"What are you laughing about?" Harry pressed, his face starting to redden.

"Were you busy this morning? Ginny's hair was awfully disheveled," Tim teased with a roguish smile.

Harry blushed, but shook his head. "I was not busy this morning, but even if I was, you're laughing at me? Your Patronus is a hippo. A hippo?"

"Hey! Hippopotamuses are very brave creatures! 'Cause more deaths each year than lions do," Tim retorted, holding his head up proudly.

"I'll take your word for it," Harry said. They had reached the door of St. Mungo's and walked through into the Hallway.

Kingsley was waiting for them when they arrived, his expression somber. They followed as he walked past the main entrance and proceeded to the third floor. Harry was surprised by the sight that awaited him. Dozens of people crowded the main waiting area; healers dressed in white robes moved about so quickly between people it appeared as though they were Apparating. The patients were either lying in beds or racing about the ward. Some were acting like victims of being poisoning, their skin green tinged or grimaces of pain across their faces. But others were exhibiting much stranger symptoms than Harry had imagined.

Several Muggles were laughing hysterically between what appeared to be episodes of extreme pain, which caused their face to drain of color and their bodies to flail uncontrollably. Others were yelling profanities or sobbing uncontrollably. It seemed as though the healer's could do nothing to help them; several kept trying various spells, while others continued to mix ingredients and give the patients drinks from vials. Both attempts to stop the strange behaviors and painful symptoms did not succeed, if anything the symptoms seemed to be exaggerated by the treatment.

Tim and Harry gaped around them, both of them glancing at each other wondering what could possibly have caused this. A tall MediWizard approached where they stood, wiping sweat from his brow before shaking Kingsley's hand.

"No luck with anything, Marcus?" Kingsley asked with a concerned glance around him.

"Nothing! I can't figure it out, everything we seem to do just makes it worse. Have they had any luck figuring out how all of them were poisoned at the same time?" the wizard asked.

"We're working on it," Kingsley assured him. "Did any of them come in with any cups, or tumblers of any kind? Or have you managed to get a blood sample or anything like that?"

"I have a few samples, but none of them came in with anything. Let me get you the samples to take back to your lab, I've got to get back to work," the wizard said moving toward a cart full of medical supplies. "We've got to find something to help, they can't eat or drink anything in this state and they're all dehydrated from being sick," he explained walking back over to Kingsley with two small vials of blood.

"Have you tried a beozar?" Harry asked quietly, watching a female patient pound her fists against the glass and scream with laughter.

"Yes, unfortunately there seems to be too many poisons in their systems for it to work. Please let me know if you find something?"" Marcus asked.

"We will, of course. And let us know if you find anything that works," Kingsley said shaking the wizard's hand again. Just then a group of three patients who had been clinging to each other for support suddenly began to fight. The wizard ran over to help break up what was happening. Kingsley motioned for Harry and Tim to follow him out.

"Holcombe," Kingsley asked, continuing straight ahead but turning over his shoulder to glance at Tim. "Have you ever seen anything like this?"

"I was actually about to say something. A few years ago, we had a similar thing happen; it wasn't aimed at Muggles, though. The victims were all members of an extended family that lived very close to one another. They were poisoned by someone putting a potion in their shared well, but it was not the same symptoms," Tim explained scratching his head.

Kingsley nodded. "I'm going to Apparate to the village to tell Lansing and the others this, Harry you can come with me. Tim, take these samples back to the office and try to analyze what's in the blood. If you find anything and can locate any kind of a remedy, send a message to Marcus, and then come join us," he said handing Tim the vials of blood.

"I will; you'll all be at the village, then?" Tim asked as he pocketed the robes.

"Yes; if, not we'll come back to the ministry first," Kingsley said. With that, Tim nodded before turning on the spot to Aparate to the Ministry.

Harry fell into step beside Kingsley, his mind whirling with questions. "You're quiet, Harry. What's on your mind?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm not sure, this is just so strange. It seemed a lot easier to deal with Death Eater's outright attacking people," he said quietly.

Kingsley smiled. "That was a more direct approach, and also easier to track. This is strange, but I suppose it's part of new world were in. There is always going to be a different way to harm someone, and people will find it," Kingsley said. Harry nodded in agreement.

"The village is just on the other side of London, Calley's Hill. Ironically enough, they do share a local water supply; luckily, I already told Lansing and the others to check that, so maybe we're ahead of the game. I'm just not sure how long those Muggles can hang on; it depends on the strength of whatever was used to poison them. Let's meet up with Lansing to see what they've got, all right?"

Harry nodded and watched as Kingsley stepped and vanished into nothingness. He followed, trying to marshal his rapidly increasing confusion as the pressing darkness surrounded him.

He appeared at the outside of a small village right next to Kingsley. For the time of day, there was a lot of activity on the streets; several cars were headed toward London and the residents of the village were walking about and muttering quietly. Harry followed Kingsley as he approached the left side of the main street and headed behind a tall building that was there. On the other side stood Lansing, Proudfoot, and Neville, who all had cauldrons out and glasses of water next to them.

"Any luck?" Kingsley asked as they approached.

"It's definitely in the water, so we've told the mayor – who thinks were from the Centers for Disease Control – to advise everyone to not drink the tap water for the time being," Lansing explained as he watched the liquid in his cauldron boil.

"Where's Sabrina?" Harry asked, looking around for the other member of his team.

"Couldn't find her," Proudfoot said with a shrug. "Her flat was empty; she did mention she might go visit her family over the holidays, so I've sent her an owl."

Kingsley nodded. "Have you tried using _Revelaspell_?"

"Yes, we've managed to separate the ingredients. So far, we've determined that it's some kind of venom mixed with white hellebore and nightshade. With the mixture of poisons, it's going to be difficult to treat. But why? You'd think the venom would do the job alone," Lansing asked as he waved his wand over the cauldron causing the liquid inside to separate into different pools which were all a different color.

"To make it untraceable, I'm guessing," Proudfoot said as he did the same.

"Well, at least now that we know a few of the ingredients, we can tell them the treatment for those, hopefully that will at least slow the venom down. I'll send a message to Holcombe, he can research antidotes to those ingredients," Kingsley said raising his wand.

"The nightshade is what is causing the insanity, but when mixed with the hellebore and whatever the venom is, it can become deadly very quickly. Plus, the typical antidote used for nightshade poisoning cannot be mixed with hellebore, it becomes lethal instantaneously. It's a very slippery slope," Neville explained as he prodded at the pools of liquid he had separated.

"Hang on," Harry said suddenly. He dropped to his knees and pulled his knapsack around and began digging inside it. After searching for a few seconds, he pulled out his battered copy of Advanced Potion Making and began to leaf through it until he reached the chapter on antidotes.

"Strange thing to carry with you, Potter," Lansing said with a quizzical look.

"I have a habit of carrying odd things with me," Harry said, thinking of the shard of glass from Sirius' old mirror and the fake Horcrux locket he still carried with him at all times. "You never know when something might come in handy. Here we are!

"'_Alternative antidote's for nightshade poisoning: Nightshade can be treated with atropine unless it has been mixed with other herbs, at which point the typical treatment would become risky for the patient. At this point, alternative antidotes need to be used. Another remedy for the herb can be created using extract of jaborandi and mandrake roots._ ' That's what it says for the nightshade. And the hellebore…here it is, '_for an overdose of Hellebore, the effects can be counteracted by mixing a calming draught with crushed coffee beans and honey_.' Will that help?" Harry asked looking at both Neville and Kingsley.

"The jaborandi root is somewhat rare, but there is an apothecary in London that carries it. And Mungo's will definitely have mandrake root they can use. I think that will work! The coffee beans will cause no other effects when mixed with either plant," Neville said as he moved to peek over Harry's shoulder to look at the books suggestions.

Kingsley glanced at Lansing with a small grin, "Yes, that will help. I'm going to send a message to Marcus and Tim. It's good that you had that with you, Harry." With that he walked toward where they had originally Apparated. He waved his wand and watched the silvery lynx race along the ground toward London.

Harry turned back and put his book in his bag, noticing as he did so that Lansing was clearing up two of his pools of liquid and examining the third. He was also smiling and chuckling to himself. "I think Hermione rubbed off on you, Potter. She'll be pleased you're following her example," he said chuckling again.

Harry was confused, wasn't it good that he was resourceful? Why was everyone laughing at him today? "Should I have not used the textbook?" he asked, sounding a little more aggressive than he meant to.

"Yes, that was good. I was just amused by how much you sounded like Hermione in class. Harry, that was very good that you had that with you, saved us loads of time and you probably helped save those Muggles lives," Lansing explained in a gentle voice.

"We still need to figure out what the venom is though, don't we?" Harry asked looking at the pool of liquid remaining in Lansing's cauldron.

"Yes, and that will be tricky. That will definitely need to be done at the lab, so we should get back," he said. He waved his wand, causing the cauldron to vanish. Harry assumed he had cast an unknown spell to send it to the office as Proudfoot performed the same motion with his wand, causing the same results to his and Neville's cauldron. They walked toward the main street, Lansing turned left and wandered inside the building. Harry paused, waiting a few moments for him to emerge and rejoin their path.

"The mayor said he will have the water supply flushed to get rid of the remaining poison that might be lingering, though I told him it was a parasite in the water that was making them sick. I'm guessing what happened was the concentration of the poison only remained in the water for a period of time before it began to be diluted, that's probably why more people weren't poisoned. The supply seems to be clear now, but I advised him to flush it just in case. Hopefully that works, if not, I'm not sure what they'll do," he said shaking his head. They continued to walk toward the outer edge of town until they reached where Kingsley stood, examining the glass of water he'd taken from Proudfoot which had been separated into three layers, each a different color.

"Ready to be off?" he said as they approached. Everyone nodded and disappeared in a swirl of cloaks.

Harry opened his eyes and found himself standing in front of the Ministry entrance. He and Neville followed Kingsley, Lansing, and Proudfoot inside and up to the Auror office, where another strange sight met his eyes.

Tim was sitting on the floor panting, his eyes wide and his face drained of color. Beside him was Sabrina, curled up into a ball and shaking, her normally pale skin whiter than usual. They all hurried inside, and Harry shut the door behind them, flicking his wand to lock it.

"What happened? Sabrina, when did you arrive?" Kingsley asked in a slightly panicked tone. He knelt down next to them, peering into each of their faces.

Sabrina moved her lips to speak, but no sound came out; it was Tim who finally spoke, his voice weak and quieter than usual. "Dementors," he muttered looking at Kingsley's face.

"Dementors?" Harry asked, his blood feeling like ice running through his veins.

"Outside," he explained, taking a deep breath and swallowing. "I came back, and they were all around the Ministry. I asked what they were doing, I thought maybe they were coming to ask about Azkaban again, but then they attacked. I couldn't do anything; I couldn't cast a Patronus, there were too many of them. Then…Sabrina…"he said looking at her for support.

"The same thing, but I didn't arrive until they already started attacking you," she said to Tim. "I was able to get him inside, but I couldn't do anything else. Aren't they out there now?" she asked looking up at all of them.

"No, they weren't there when we arrived," Lansing said, looking concerned.

Proudfoot emerged from behind him with bars of chocolate for both Tim and Sabrina. Tim took his and began to eat enthusiastically; Sabrina accepted the candy but just glanced at it. "We need to find them, they'll attack again. I'm not sure what they were after, but they just attacked without warning. I think they're starving," she explained trying to get to her feet. Kingsley grabbed her shoulder and sat her back down.

"Just wait a moment, you're not up to standing yet," He said gently but she pushed his hand away.

"They will attack someone else if we don't stop them!" she said, raising her voice slightly.

"We will find them, but you two are not going to be a part of it until you've had time to rest," Kingsley said in a firm voice. Sabrina scowled, but leaned back against the wall and bit into her chocolate. Kingsley sighed heavily and stood up. "Do you have any idea where they could have gone?"

Tim sighed. "None, they didn't say anything, I don't even –"

"A populated area," Sabrina muttered, interrupting him.

"Yes…as I was saying, they didn't say anything before they attacked. I don't even remember coming inside, so … Sabrina, thank you by the way," Tim finished, gently nudging her with his arm.

She smiled gently, "Don't mention it."

"Okay, you two go home, I mean it. Don't go looking for them, we'll deal with it. All right?" Lansing said as he helped Sabrina to her feet. She nodded solemnly and wandered out the door. Tim followed in her steps.

When they were out, Lansing shut the door quietly before turning back toward where the rest of the group was standing. "We can't go after them, not just us five. There are too many of them now."

"I know," Kingsley agreed.

Silence reigned in the room. Harry sat on the edge of his desk, thinking to himself. He remembered, during the battle, how the Dementors had scattered at the presence of three Patronuses before he had managed to conjure his own. "How many are there?" he asked breaking the silence.

"Last time they came to ask about Azkaban, there were over five hundred of them. I know that your Patronus is big Harry, but it's not enough," Proudfoot said.

"What is yours?" He asked.

"Badger, it's too small to be of much help" he replied.

"Neville?

"It's an eagle, but I still have trouble pulling it off, Harry," Neville responded.

"Lansing?" Harry asked as he stood up and began to pace.

"Beaver. Harry what are you thinking?"

"Well, if we can find them, wouldn't we be able to drive them someplace if we had enough people who could cast a Patronus?" he asked looking around.

"The theory is good, but where would we force them to go? And how would we make them stay?" Lansing asked.

Harry shook his head, "I'm not sure. Somewhere off coast, or where they couldn't get to people. If they can't get to a population to feed from, they'll starve right? Isn't that why they're attacking?"

Kingsley rubbed his head. "You have a point; I'm guessing they will starve if left without a food source. But even if there is a way we can get them to a place off coast, how do we keep them there?"

"There is an island about fifteen kilometers away from Azkaban; you can see it from the prison. If we could get them out there, the guards could keep watch to make sure they didn't leave," Proudfoot suggested.

"They won't stay forever, but that would at least get them away from a majority of the population. The ones that are strong enough to survive could be dealt with if they came back. We could try that, but we'd have to wait for Sabrina and Tim to be up to it, and we'd have to get some extra help," Kingsley said thoughtfully. "Harry, would your friends be up to that?"

Harry swallowed. "I can ask, I think they'll help out."

"Well, for now, we don't have any way to find them, so we'll just have to wait. But be on the alert; if there's another attack, we'll have to move quickly to catch them," Kingsley said with a resigned sigh. "I need to get back to Mungo's, to see if they've had any success with the antidotes. Marcus hasn't responded, so I'm guessing no news might be good news. Lansing, have you got any ideas on how we can figure out the type of venom used in the concoction?"

"Revelaspell only told us it's a venom; it can't go any further than that because it only identifies herbs and plants. This is a biological agent. We'll have to start by analyzing it against different venoms from different animals," he explained thoughtfully. He waved his wand and the cauldron he'd vanished earlier appeared on his desk. He conjured a small flask and siphoned the liquid into the vial, shaking it gently. "It seems thicker, so I'm guessing its snake venom of some sort. Fitting if it is the Death Eaters."

"Can you take that up to the Department for Control of Magical Creatures?" Kingsley asked, stepping closer to look at the vial. "That's the only lead were going to have at this point. Harry, would you want to come back to St. Mungo's with me quickly? Then you can go home," he asked turning to look at Harry, who nodded in agreement.

"Proudfoot, you and Longbottom head out to Azkaban and check out that island. Talk to the guards and see what their ideas would be for containing the Dementors. We'll talk more on Monday about the Dementors, and make an official plan. Does that work for you?"

Neville nodded. Proudfoot did the same before explaining his plan. "A few of the guards have some good insight just from working out there when the Dementors still guarded the place. I'll get their thoughts as well."

"Contact me if there is anything new. We'll be off now," Kingsley said, stepping toward the door. Harry followed, waving to Neville, Lansing and Proudfoot as he and Kingsley walked out the door and into the Atrium.

They walked for a ways in silence, Harry still racking his brains for ideas on getting rid of the Dementors for good, in addition to how to catch whoever poisoned the village.

"Harry, how did you learn to cast a Patronus?" Kingsley asked as they walked.

Harry cleared his throat. "Lupin taught me. He never mentioned it?"

Kingsley shook his head. "No, he didn't. Remus was very private about the year he taught at Hogwarts. I think it was probably one of the happiest of his life. It's unfortunate that he chose not to stay on; I'm guessing he was an excellent teacher."

Harry smiled slightly. "He was. I don't think he had much of a choice. After Snape outed him as a werewolf, he said there would be letters and complaints; he was worried about the effect it would have on Dumbledore."

"True," Kingsley agreed. "This is also unfortunate, because Dumbledore wouldn't have cared what effect it had on him. Lupin was a good man, stuck in a bad condition. I'm working on undoing the laws that prohibit werewolves from keeping jobs. There are lots of good men, and women, stuck in that condition, by no choice of their own. They should be able to find work; they shouldn't be forced to live the lives they do," he said thoughtfully.

Harry, again, was comforted by Kingsley's sense of right and wrong, which was in line with his own. "What about the Muggle-Born persecution laws, how are those coming?"

"We've got a majority of them identified, and counter laws ready to be put in place. There is actually a court meeting after the New Year to move for their abolishment. Umbridge's trial is also set for January seventh. Will you be able to come?"

"Yes, I should be. Though, I'm not sure I can offer much," Harry said.

"You were witness to at least one interrogation she was part of, weren't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I was," he admitted, remembering the brief session he saw of Umbridge interrogating Mrs. Catermole.

"Were Hermione or Ron in there longer?" Kingsley asked.

"Hermione was."

"Do you think she would come and testify?"

Harry swallowed. "I think so, but you'd have to ask her."

Kingsley smiled. "Do you mind if I come back to the Burrow with you and do that? I don't want to put her through anything, but it would help our case greatly if we had more witnesses," he explained.

"No I don't mind at all," Harry said.

Kingsley nodded. They had reached St. Mungo's, and walked through the magical barrier into the main entrance.

It was much calmer now than it had been a few hours earlier; the waiting area seemed to have returned to normal. Kingsley headed upstairs to the third floor and smiled at what he saw. The Muggle patients were lying in bed, many of them still sickly looking, but it was no longer the chaos they had witnessed this morning. The Mediwizard they had spoken with earlier came out of the closed ward and approached them.

"Those remedies worked, Minister. They relieved a lot of the insanity symptoms, and helped calm them down, so we can at least try to figure out what else they've got in their systems. They're all so confused, and still very, very sick from whatever else was in the poison," he explained.

"We're working on that. Have you been able to identify anything about the venom part of the poison from your examinations?" Kingsley asked.

"Whatever that venom is, it's strong. We've been having to give them hourly Mandrake draughts and strengthening solutions just to keep them strong enough to drink water. It makes them incredibly weak, and causes a lot of pain. It's definitely a venom that attacks the nervous system, probably snake venom of some sort," Marcus explained, as he examined his notes.

"That's what we guessed as well. Lansing is researching it, hopefully the members of the magical creatures department will have some insight," Kingsley said reassuringly.

"I hope they can find out quick; whatever is left in their system from the poison is slow acting, but it's definitely killing them," Marcus said darkly. "I thought Tim Holcombe was working on it? We did receive a very strange message from him; it cut off halfway through."

"Holcombe, unfortunately, was the victim of a completely different attack. Not to worry, however, he'll be back at it on Monday," Kingsley assured him.

"Right. Well, I'm going to get back to researching what we've got here; if anything changes, I will let you know," Marcus said. Kingsley nodded and shook his hand before turning and motioning Harry to follow him.

"Does he know Tim?" Harry asked.

"Only from meeting him a few times at the office, and when he's visited here," Kingsley explained. "Tim comes very highly recommended from the American Auror office. He's an expert in potion concoction and defensive spells, been with their office since he turned 16. He finished his N.E.W.T's while he worked there, and had just completed his W.O.M.B.A.T.S. when we recruited him just before the end of the war," Kingsley explained.

"He was willing to relocate so easily?"

"He had reason," Kingsley explained, in a somber tone. "His fiancé had traveled to England for study last January. If they'd had any idea of what was really going on over here, she probably wouldn't have come. Unfortunately, they didn't, and she was identified as a Muggle-born on her passport. He never talks about it, I think it's still too hard for him to discuss. But as soon as she registered with the Ministry, she was put on a hit list."

"She was murdered?" Harry asked, a horrified expression crossing his face.

Kingsley nodded. "She was among a group of fifteen Muggle-borns that were murdered by a group of snatchers. We had the unfortunate task of notifying him while I was still technically a Ministry employee. After I was almost captured, I contacted him again and explained the situation. That's when he volunteered to come over and help."

Harry nodded. He suddenly felt a pang of sadness. Out of anyone in that office, Tim was the most lighthearted, the most carefree of them all. He never imagined him having such a tragic past.

"But, as I said, he doesn't talk about it very often, if at all; so, I'm not surprised he hasn't told you," Kingsley said. "You ready to go back to The Burrow?"

Harry nodded; his mind was filled with sorrow. He shook his head before concentrating all his energy on thoughts of The Burrow and twisting into the smothering blackness.

* * *

_Authors Note: I love your reviews, I sincerely hope you are all enjoying this story as much as I am enjoying write it. There is much more coming, so please continue to leave your feedback, I take it all into consideration!!!! Thank you to my beta, Sierra, for her absolutely wonderful support and feedback._


	22. Confrontation

Confrontation

"Shut Your Eyes" Snow Patrol

* * *

The next week passed without any further contact from the Auror office, though Kingsley and Lansing did send Harry a daily owl with updates on the status of the patients. Not much had changed; the remaining effects of the venom left them weak, but they were all mending slowly, some had even had their memories modified and been sent home. Harry and Kingsley had returned to The Burrow that afternoon to an anxiously awaiting family of Weasleys, who were shocked and outraged at the attack on Calley's Hill. Hermione had talked with Kingsley, agreeing to testify about the trials she witnessed Umbridge conduct before returning to school. Neither Kingsley nor Harry mentioned the Dementor attack, but Kingsley did ask Harry to feel them out about helping round up the Dementor's when the need arose.

"If they say no, that is perfectly fine, but we'll need all the help we can get if it does come to that," he had told Harry before leaving that day.

Harry only had to mention Tim being attacked before everyone volunteered to help with their possible assault on the Dementors. Harry refrained from asking any of them out right though, specifically Ginny. He had avoided discussion with her on the subject until New Years Eve when she finally called him out on it.

She and Hermione were staying at Grimmauld Place for the evening, under the presumption of helping George arrange the shop the next day. It was close to midnight, and Harry and Ginny had gone up to his room to get his chess set when the discussion started.

"Apparently, my Patronus isn't good enough to fight Dementors," she muttered. He watched from the doorway as she began to change into her pajamas, sighing heavily as she turned her back on him.

"Ginny," Harry said patiently. "That's not it. I just…I don't-"

"Harry, when are you going to realize that I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself? I'm so tired of being treated like a child! Dad, my brothers, you…what is it about me that comes off as weak?" she exclaimed angrily.

"Nothing, it's nothing!" Harry said as he approached her. "It's-"

"Hermione is much more sensitive than I am, and _Expecto Patronum_ is a spell she has trouble with! I-"

"Have you ever done the spell outside of a nice, warm class room? Have you ever done it when you're facing a Dementor?" Harry said.

Ginny did not back down. "No, but-"

"When we were on the train your second year, and they approached our compartment, what did you hear and see?" he asked. He didn't really want to know, he didn't want to think about her feeling any kind of despair or hopelessness, but he had to show her where he was coming from.

"I saw Riddle coming out of the diary, and I heard him taunting me," she confessed, her voice dropping a little. "But that won't happen now. He's gone-"

"What do you think will replace it? That was your worst memory then, and it's still there. But there are other memories and emotions that they can pull from, what do you think they'd choose?"

Ginny opened her mouth to argue, but closed it. She knew what Harry was thinking; he was thinking that if she approached the Dementors, they would pull from her the memories of the night she was attacked by the Carrows. She would hear Neville screaming, and be taunted by Amycus touching her and cursing in her ears. And she would again feel the hatred she felt when she cast the _Cruciatus_ _curse_, something she didn't want to feel ever again.

Despite that realization, her defenses remained high. "What will it bring back for Hermione? It'll bring back-"

"Do you think that Ron isn't having the same conversation with her right now? Do you think he wants her to remember that?" Harry said quietly, stepping closer to her. He reached out and brushed her hair from her face, causing her to look up into his eyes. "Do you think I want you to remember how much hatred you felt? I don't want you to remember a single thing about that night. I'd put a memory charm on you to forget it if you'd let me," he said as he pulled her close.

The feel of his arms around her seemed to dissolve her anger; she folded herself into them and buried her face in his chest. "It goes both ways, you know. I don't want you to remember things either," she said.

"I'm not exactly looking forward to it, but I want them gone."

"So do I," Ginny said. Harry sighed heavily as he looked into her brown eyes. "Harry, don't leave me behind again. Let me be a part of this, let me help you. Don't push me away to protect me," she whispered.

Harry inhaled deeply and sighed again before closing his eyes. "Okay…all right. If the time comes, and you and Hermione are not in school, I'll send a message for you to come help. But you know what this means, don't you?"

"That I'll have to face that night again possibly. I know that, and I'll-"

"No, not just that," Harry said, allowing a small smile to cross his lips. "You'll have to take your apparition test, because I might not be there to bring you to wherever they are."

Ginny groaned. "I know. I'm going to have to take it anyway. I'm not worried about it; I'm going to do the practice sessions. It's just so…awful…the feeling," she said cringing.

"You do get used to it," he said chuckling slightly.

"That's what mum and dad say too," she sighed. "I suppose, if that's what it takes." She twirled on the spot in Harry's arms, squeezing her eyes shut and grimacing. He laughed before picking her up and kissing her gently.

Midnight came and went with a quiet game of chess and a small toast they all shared when the clock struck twelve. On the morning of New Year's day, Harry, Ron and George went to Diagon Alley to help them redecorate the shop before it reopened the following Monday. Ginny and Hermione went back to The Burrow at Mrs. Weasly's request, she had been nervous about them staying in London alone since the attack. The girls immediately went to Ginny's room and fell back to sleep for a few hours. When they finally awoke, it was close to noon and they stayed upstairs talking rather than going descending to face the day.

"What are you thinking about over there?" Ginny asked.

Hermione sighed. "I don't know…lots of things. I will be really glad when N.E.W.T. testing is over. I never thought I'd say this, but I am ready to be done with school."

"I think you're just ready to see Ron more. If he was at Hogwarts you'd be fine," Ginny teased.

"Well, it's not like you don't have the same issue."

"Yes, but at least I'm honest about it," Ginny said with a laugh. Hermione shook her head and rolled back over. They lay silent for a few minutes more before Ginny's curiosity got the better of her.

"Have things changed?" she asked.

"Yes, but what do you mean exactly?" Hermione responded.

"With you and Ron… since we came back from Australia. Have you two expanded your _intimacy_ skills?" Ginny said in a low seductive voice.

"Ginny," Hermione scolded, blushing slightly. "Come on, I can't believe you're asking me this!"

"Okay, pretend I'm asking you for help. Because I have no clue what to do," Ginny explained sitting up.

"What makes you think I do?" Hermione asked as she leaned up on her elbow.

"We're in the same boat then! I have no idea what Harry wants or what he would like! I mean I have a general idea of where to begin, but after that … I just have no idea how to start," she said, blushing slightly.

Hermione scoffed and her face became red. She thought about scolding her again, but as she watched, Ginny curled into a small ball on her bed and stared at her toes. Hermione suddenly realized that they were in the same boat; she remembered the passion she had felt awaken in her for Ron after that day by the lake, and remembered her own complete and utter lack of knowledge about how to handle what was done to her, and what to do with her own longings.

"All right," Hermione said in a resigned voice. Ginny sat up and gave her a cheeky grin. "A few things have happened. We've…well, he's…um…how do I explain this?" Hermione babbled, sitting up and trying to brush her tangled hair.

"So you guys haven't gone … that far," Ginny said.

"No," Hermione assured her. "But, we have … well I guess Ron more than me … he's done a lot of … petting?"

"Petting?" Ginny snorted.

"Well … that's the only thing I've ever heard of it referred to as!" Hermione spat in defense of her terminology. "I don't know! I don't have any kind of experience in this sort of thing!"

"I'm sorry," Ginny said, trying to contain her laughter. "I am sorry, it's just that term," she said subsiding in giggles again.

Hermione scowled. "You're the one who brought this up, you know."

"Yes, I'm fully aware of that," Ginny said through her laughter. She took a deep breath to try and contain herself. "Okay. So you and Ron have … well Ron has, let's say…"

"He's spent a lot of time … making me more aware of parts of my body I didn't realize were so sensitive," Hermione said in a very confident and business-like manner.

Ginny chuckled. "Fair enough, okay. And how was that?"

"How was it for you?"

Ginny's eyes widened. "Wha…how do you know-"

"From my … limited experience… the first time I felt a real urge to do anything to Ron was after he'd done something to me. That was the first time I had really ever felt … lustful, I guess. I wanted to…" she paused, a thoughtful look crossing her face. "I wanted to return the favor, so to speak. I'm guessing since you're asking me about what you can do for Harry, that you've experienced something similar. Am I correct?"

"Do you just sit around contemplating these things, waiting for someone to ask? Or have you learned Legilimency?"

"Neither, I'm just going off of what you're saying," Hermione said with a cheeky grin.

"Fair enough," Ginny laughed. "Yes, you are correct then. I had a similar experience. But back to my original question; how was that for you? I just want to know if what I experienced was normal."

"What makes you think it wasn't?" Hermione asked.

"I didn't know it was possible to feel something so intense," Ginny confessed.

Hermione laughed gently. "Neither did I. I knew what was happening to me; I understood the goal that he was aiming for. But… it was just so…"

"Intense?" Ginny offered.

"Powerful."

"Passionate."

"Pleasurable," Hermione said with a sigh.

Ginny laughed. "Hermione, you're blushing."

Hermione shook her head, forcing the memories of Ron's hands caressing her legs from her mind. "If that was your experience, then I think it was normal."

"It was," Ginny said, dropping her head as her cheeks flushed and allowing a small smile to cross her face. "I was shocked at how much more I wanted. I … I thought for a few minutes he was going to stop himself from doing anything. I almost…" she stuttered.

Hermione watched her quizzically, she had never seen Ginny struggle for words or become shy when she was talking about anything. "You almost…" she encouraged.

"I almost begged him to keep going," she confessed in a whisper, her face turning a bright red. "And then, I wanted to beg him not to stop. I'd never felt anything like that. And yes, I also wanted to return the favor," she said with a small laugh.

Hermione smiled. "Unfortunately, I can't help you there. Because I haven't returned the favor; and as much as I want to, I have no idea how." She stood and stretched high on her toes, watching as Ginny repeated the motion.

"Me neither. I wonder if Angelina would know," Ginny asked.

"We never see her, and asking that that would be odd, I think," Hermione said as they began walking down the stairs. When they entered the kitchen a surprising sight met their eyes. Fleur was standing in jeans and a t-shirt, working on repairing a table cloth that lay in front of her.

"Oh, good morning, Ginny, 'ermione. I didn't wake you did I?" She asked looking up and smiling brightly.

"No, not at all. This is a surprise, where's mum?" Ginny said walking over to where she stood.

"She iz over at our house, helping Bill and I do some redecorating to ze second room upstairs. Your muzzer found zis tablecloth, she absolutely loved it. I zhought it would be nize to fix it up for her, as a gift. I came here so I could make it a surprise," Fleur said simply.

"That's nice, it is very pretty," Hermione commented as she sat down on the opposite side of where Fleur and Ginny now stood.

As Ginny watched her sister-in-law repair the stitching on the white cloth, she was hit with a sudden thought. "Fleur! You're not a-"

"GINNY!" Hermione screeched, interrupting her sentence. "That is extremely inappropriate!"

Fleur laughed loudly. "'ermione, you will make a very good muzzer one day. What were you going to say, Ginny?"

Ginny blushed. "Well…Hermione and I were just talking about…um…" she muttered, glancing at Hermione to fill in the gaps. Hermione just glared, her face reddening from either anger or embarrassment, Ginny didn't know. "Neither of us have had a lot of … experience… in certain areas of relationships. I just realized that…perhaps-"

"Ginny," Hermione hissed. "Please, this is so embarrassing," she sighed hanging her head in her hands.

Fleur stopped what she was doing and looked from Ginny's slightly flushed face to Hermione's embarrassed position and expression. "Iz zis about boyz? Both of you are virgins?" she asked matter-of-factly.

"Yes," Ginny responded sitting down.

Fleur smiled. "Kizzing? What about touching? It 'as been so long since I 'ave 'ad girl talk wiz anyone," she explained with a grin.

"The opposite, actually," Ginny said, her face lighting up. Hermione's head lifted, she was now slightly curious as to what Fleur had to say. "We're both fine with … what's been done to us. We'd like to … return the favor, so to speak."

"Ah, I see," Fleur said. She glanced around. "Are you two ze only onez here?"

Ginny nodded.

"Your muzzer will not be back for a while, Bill iz not so good with ze house hold spells so she will keep him busy," she explained waving her wand one final time over the cloth. She then sat down in a chair across from Hermione. "So…returning ze favor… what would you like to know?" she said with a small smirk.

Ginny grinned at Hermione, who blushed even brighter, but leaned in to hear what Fleur had to say.

*****

"I think we'll keep these on next year," George said as he removed a few boxes containing candy canes from the shelves and replaced them with the always popular skiving snack boxes. Harry chuckled, remembering that the candy canes had the same effect as their canary creams, only turning the consumer into a snowman for a few brief moments. Ron had come up with the idea at the beginning of winter, and they turned out to be very popular sellers.

"We'll have to add some other Yule products, they seemed to sell out quite fast," Ron said, trying not to sound too pleased with himself.

The shop was closed for the holiday, allowing the three men to work with only a few interruptions they replaced the holiday products with old favorites and put new marketing items out on the shelves. George had been true to his word and signed Ron on as a partner in the business. This allowed him forty percent of the profits in addition to his regular salary. Ron had explained to George his desire to eventually join the Auror office before the papers were signed, but George explained that when that time came they could renegotiate the agreement.

"I'll still need your help from time to time, little brother," George had explained. "Besides, you've got a knack for this, so I'll keep you on to steal from your creativity if anything," he said, making both Ron and Harry laugh lightly.

"How was Angelina's party last night?" Ron asked, as he worked on arranging the WonderWitch products to display several new items.

"It was fun; highly entertaining. Oliver showed up, it was good to see him," said George.

"He's staying on with Puddlemere then? I'd read somewhere that he might move to Winchester" Harry asked.

"Nah, he's staying with Puddlemere, he'll be starting this year he said. And actually, he mentioned something to me about Ginny," George explained eyeing Harry curiously.

"What about Ginny?" Harry asked, pausing his movement of boxes to listen to George more attentively.

"Rumor has it that Gwenog Jones is quite interested in her as a player for the Harpies. She's planning on going to the Quidditch Match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff in February. It sounds like they've already planned to make her an offer to be on the team," George explained. "Did you know about this?"

"At the party at the Ministry, Ginny spent the entire evening talking to her. But I think the only think she knows is that Gwenog is coming to see her play. If that's the case, she'll be thrilled. Last time we talked about it, the idea of playing professionally appealed to her more and more," Harry said thinking back to their last conversation on her post-Hogwarts activities.

"Well, it is just a rumor," George said. "But still, to think all that time we missed out on having her play for us! I still can't believe she broke into the broom shed and taught herself how to fly," he said shaking his head with a small smile.

At that moment, the front door of the shop opened and the bell announcing an entrance rang. George signed heavily. "That's the third person this morning," he said. "Honestly, no one reads the signs."

Ron moved toward the entrance way, but stopped when he got halfway there, a surprised grin appearing on his face. "Morning, Tim. Are you looking for Harry?"

Tim rounded the corner, his cloak tight round his shoulders and his shaggy hair windswept from being outside. "Hey Ron. No, I'm not really looking for anyone. I just stopped by your house and Ginny said you were all here," he explained as he walked sheepishly into the main area of the shop. George greeted him with a smile and Harry walked over toward where he and Ron now stood. "Rearranging?" Tim asked looking at George and Ron.

"Just changing a few things around, putting old stuff away getting new stuff out," George explained with a shrug.

"What's up, Tim?" Harry asked. "Has something happened?"

"Nah, I just…"he trailed off, scuffing his heel on the floor. "I was just bored, looking for something to do, so I thought I'd come see if you guys would like to go out for a drink. But since your busy, I can just catch up later," he explained shifting his feet slightly.

"We're not that busy," Ron said. "We're actually about finished."

"Yeah," Harry said. "If you give us a few minutes we'll finish up and then we can head out."

"Can I help with anything?" Tim offered, the light coming back into his eyes.

"Sure!" George said enthusiastically. "Just grab a few of those boxes, and we'll take them over here," he explained as Tim waved his wand and the boxes followed where he and George were now walking.

About an hour later, the four men were sitting at a table in the Leaky Cauldron enjoying a few drinks and talking about various things. They'd discussed the poisoning at Calley's Hill, possible culprits, Angelina's New Years Eve party, Ginny and Hermione's plans for their post Hogwarts lives, and finally Quidditch.

"It's their year, I swear it is," Ron said enthusiastically, gulping down his third glass of mead. "The Cannons have got Thicke now, so we should be able to make the playoffs."

"That's if he doesn't pansy out because of a broken toenail again," George said rolling his eyes. Ron punched him in the shoulder, but laughed along with Harry and Tim.

Harry had been watching Tim all afternoon, noting his return to his normal carefree attitude, but curious about his disposition this morning. The story about how the Auror ended up in England was weighing on Harry's mind; he wondered if today, for some reason, it was weighing on Tim's as well.

George and Ron walked to the bar to grab another drink and left Tim and Harry sitting at the table. Harry watched as Tim's face dropped a bit. He picked up his glass and took another drink. "What's up, mate?" Harry asked. "You're a bit off today."

Tim shrugged. "Just wanted some company, I didn't feel like hanging around my flat all alone today," he explained.

"I forgot that you don't have a flat mate," Harry said.

"Nah, I'm kind of a slob, I don't think I'd do well with a roommate," Tim chuckled, a small smile crossing his face.

Harry nodded as he stared at his glass. He was about to bring the discussion back to Quidditch when he heard Tim inhale deeply.

"I was engaged, so I guess I would have had a roommate, technically," He said quietly.

Harry swallowed and raised his eyes, feigning ignorance to the story he was about to be told. "What happened?"

"She was murdered," he replied bluntly.

"When?"

"Last January," Tim said with another sigh. "Her name was Marie. She'd been accepted into the American InterContinental University and was scheduled to start classes. But she was murdered right after she got here," he explained.

Harry swallowed again, he glanced at the bar where George and Ron were engaged in a conversation with Tom the bartender. It didn't look like they would be returning soon. "By the Death Eaters?"

Tim glanced at Harry quizzically. "Kingsley told me a little," he confessed. "Sorry."

"S'all right. I'm glad you know, it makes explaining my attitude easier," Tim said shrugging.

"Do you know who was responsible?"

"No, she was among a group of Muggle-borns that were captured by snatchers. I don't know who killed her or where… I actually don't even know if she's buried or what they did with her," he explained.

"That's terrible," Harry said shaking his head. "I'm so sorry."

Tim nodded. "When Kingsley contacted me, right after it happened, I didn't understand. He said that she was subject to a law prohibiting Muggle-Borns for entering the country and was executed because she broke the law. I was so angry at him. Of course, that all changed when he contacted me again and explained fully. He said they needed help; he told me he was on the run, and that's when I came over. I didn't have a problem getting into the country since I'm a Pure-blood, but it took me a while to find him and fully grasp how big of a problem you were having," he said before drinking the last of his mead.

Harry nodded. "Still though, it's good of you to come over and help us. But, I am sorry," he said.

Tim nodded. "It's okay. I would like to find whoever did it, though," he said thoughtfully, his eyes narrowing slightly. He straightened his face around as Ron and George came back to the table.

"Ron, I'm proud of you," George was saying. He clapped Ron on the back hard and then began to chuckle slightly. "I didn't think you'd have it in you! I'll bet Hermione was just as shocked."

"Shut up," Ron said, his face reddening. "I shouldn't have even told you."

"Told him what?" Tim asked curiously.

"That he had the brains to actually make a move and get into Hermione's-"

"OI!" Ron yelled, punching George again on the arm. "Would you shut up? I'm sure she'd appreciate the fact that the whole bar would know if you kept talking," he said shaking his head.

Tim laughed loudly. "So he made out with his girlfriend. Why is that so shocking?"

"You haven't known him as long as I have," George said.

"From what I've gathered from Harry, all three of them never had any time to…play around while they were in school," Tim replied glancing at Harry for confirmation. Harry ducked his head and continued to drink the remaining mead in his glass.

"Right, see?" Ron said. "Just because I didn't try to shag her the first chance I got, doesn't mean that the thought hasn't occurred to me."

"The thought has occurred to you?" George teased. "I'm amazed that you'd even understand that part of life. Oh, how I'd love to be a fly on the wall when you and Hermione shag for the first time," George laughed. "She's probably going to have a book out, talking you through the whole thing!"

Ron scowled as George laughed loudly and Tim chuckled. Harry refrained from laughing, though the same thought had also occurred to him.

"I think Hermione would surprise you a bit," Ron said quietly before taking another drink from his glass.

"Surprise me how, Ron?" George laughed. "By consulting the _Wise Witches Guide to Seduction _or _Lydia's Guide to Lustful Encounters?"_

"Are those real books?" Harry asked chuckling slightly.

"Actually, yes," George said, still laughing. "Angelina has _Lydia's Guide_; it's rather entertaining to look through."

"Well, since you seem to be such an expert in the matter, George, why don't you enlighten Harry and I on what we're supposed to be doing?" Ron challenged him. Harry was in the middle of taking a drink and promptly choked on his mead, requiring Tim to clap him hard on the back for him to clear his throat.

George chuckled as he took a drink. "No, no, little brother. Gentlemen never kiss and tell," he said in a superior tone.

"Only because they don't know what they're talking about," Tim said glancing at George curiously. George blushed slightly, and shifted in his seat. "What's wrong, Weasley? Can't answer a few questions about your love life?"

George cleared his throat. "Oh, I can. But I don't think I should impart the knowledge on to Ron, he couldn't handle himself if moved any further south," he said with a teasing glint in his eye.

"You haven't done anything," Ron said. "You're bluffing."

"South?" Tim said, giving George an appraising look. "Nice, did she return the favor?"

George grinned again and shrugged, but didn't say anything. "But you haven't sealed the deal," Tim said matter-of-factly.

George shook his head, "Nah, not yet. Close though, I'm not in a hurry. She's great, I don't want to rush it."

"That's good," Tim said. "It's fantastic, I'm not going to lie, but definitely not something to rush. Lots of fun leading up to it though," he chuckled. George joined in and nodded, but Ron and Harry just sat with blank expressions on their faces.

"Harry, you've been there haven't you?" Tim asked. Again, Harry choked on his drink and Tim pounded him on the back. "Maybe we ought to teach you to drink first," he said laughing.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" Harry asked wiping his mouth. He looked across the table to see Ron and George looking pointedly away trying not to listen to his answer to Tim's question.

"What? Oh, that's right" Tim said, then started laughing loudly. Ron and George turned back curiously. "Ginny's their sister, sorry, I completely forgot," he explained. "But, aside from her, other girls, I mean come on, you're famous. They had to be throwing themselves at you, right?" Tim pressed.

"Um, no actually. Ron got more play than I did," Harry said trying to divert the attention.

"I wouldn't exactly call hours of snogging Lavender 'play'," Ron said. "More like…practice. At least that's what Ginny said."

Tim took a drink and shook his head. "Seriously? Didn't you guys get into all sorts of action? Weren't you in the Triwizard Tournament? And you were keeper for your Quidditch team, Ron. No action? Either of you?" Tim asked incredulously.

Ron and Harry both shook their heads. "Well, it sounds like you're at least getting somewhere now, right?" he continued. When neither of them responded, he sighed deeply. "Okay, boys, let's talk. First off, you can't dive right into things, you've got to…'warm' them up a bit. You catch my drift?" Tim asked, the carefree light coming back into his eyes.

***************

Ginny ran her fingers through her hair nervously. Her mind was racing with all the things that Fleur had told her and Hermione about. She glanced over at Hermione who sat on her camp bed, curled up staring out the window. She had an expression of deep thought on her face, but she didn't look as nervous as Ginny felt.

As if reading her thoughts, Hermione turned and looked at Ginny, an expression of concern crossing her face. "You all right? Bit off a bit more than you could chew?"

Ginny smiled. "Perhaps. I don't think that I really thought all that through. There's a lot more to consider than just…snogging and touching and eventually..." she said, her voice trailing off. She was still unable to admit where her mind was wandering.

"You don't have to take all those steps, you know. Fleur was just making suggestions of what could happen or options we have," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Yes, options. We'll take a tactical approach to it," Ginny said sarcastically.

Hermione laughed. "I'm guessing it's more nerve wracking when you're just sitting here, thinking about it. But really, in the heat of the moment, it just comes naturally I think. Or at least, from what I felt, it comes naturally."

"I suppose you're right," Ginny said. "Though, I can't picture Harry dropping his nobility enough to do some of those things."

Hermione laughed. "Harry is still a man, however noble he may be. I guarantee you when presented with…certain opportunities…he won't be able to resist the temptations."

The girls spent the remainder of the afternoon discussing what Fleur had told them about. Around Four o'clock they began to be curious about the whereabouts of Ron and Harry, so they decided to head to Grimmauld Place and see what they were up to.

When they arrived, the house was empty except for Kreacher. "Good Afternoon Miss Ginny, Miss Hermione," the elf said as they stepped through the fire place.

"Hi Kreacher," Hermione said. "Aren't Ron and Harry home?"

"Master Harry and Master Ron haven't been at Grimmauld Place all day. Kreacher thought they were at The Burrow."

"We haven't seen them since we left this morning, they went to help George rearrange the shop," Hermione explained.

"Kreacher is sure they will be home soon. Would you like some tea while you wait?"

"Sure," Hermione said. She moved into the sitting room and sat down on the couch. Ginny moved to the largest arm chair and sat down as well. Kreacher brought them both tea and they drank it anxiously, wondering where Ron and Harry could be.

The four men were still chatting as they left the Leaky Cauldron; Tim and George walking up front laughing and Harry and Ron following behind, their heads reeling from the discussion they had. Harry had numerous questions, but did not want to ask Tim to expand his suggestions in the presence of Ginny's brothers.

They hadn't gotten very far down the street when they ran into Lansing, who looked pale and frantic as he approached them.

"Tim, Harry!" He shouted. "That was much easier than I thought it would be."

"Hey Lansing, you all right?" Tim asked as they met him in the street and stopped to talk.

"Actually, no; there's been another Dementor attack. Kingsley sent a message to me to find you two, and he went to find Proudfoot, Longbottom and Sabrina. We're supposed to get as many people as we can and meet him by the coast near Azkaban as soon as we can get there," Lansing explained. "He was contacted by someone at Azkaban when the damn things showed up and started attacking the prisoners and all the guards. There are over three hundred of them out there now, were going to need lots of people. Did you know of anyone who was willing to help?" Lansing asked.

"Our parents were, I'll send them a message," George said raising his wand. A silvery coyote appeared from the tip and raced off to the south.

"Hermione and Ginny wanted to help," Ron said, glancing at Harry.

"Well, send them a message then," Lansing said. Harry glanced at Ron, wondering if he was thinking the same thing about Hermione that he was about Ginny; that they didn't belong anywhere near a group of three hundred Dementors.

"Can they produce a Patronus? We'll need all the help we can get," Lansing said again, glancing at the two of them.

Harry sighed heavily and looked at Ron. "They'll kill us if we don't let them know," he said. He glanced at the ring he wore around his third finger on his right hand. "Time to find out if this thing works," he said as he twisted around his finger.

Ginny had just taken a drink of tea when the most curious sensation overwhelmed her. She swallowed and set the cup down quickly, standing up and glancing at her wrist.

"Ginny? What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"I think Harry activated my Affinty bracelet. It feels strange…tingly. He's …" she paused, letting the feeling that was flowing from her wrist spread throughout her body. "He's just outside the Leaky Cauldron. We need to go," she said grabbing her cloak and throwing it around her shoulders.

Hermione stood, panic in her eyes. "Is it an emergency?"

"No, no, that's not what I'm feeling. I just…it's strange. I just know he wants me, so we should go," she explained. She moved quickly to the door as Hermione followed, wrapping her cloak around her shoulders. As soon as they were outside the front door Ginny grabbed onto Hermione's hand, feeling her twist into the compressing darkness.

"What's that?" Tim asked, glancing at Harry's ring.

"An Affinity Charm. I gave it to Ginny for her birthday, it's supposed to signal the other person if it's rotated," Harry explained. He stared at his hand as the tingling sensation became warmer and warmer.

A loud pop echoed behind them. Ron and Harry turned around to see Hermione and Ginny appearing out of nowhere, both of them looking around until they saw the group of men standing near the corner.

"Apparently it works," Ron said, a somber expression crossing his face.

"Were you hoping it wouldn't?" Harry asked quietly; out of the corner of his eye he saw Ron nod slowly. "Me to," Harry said.

Ginny and Hermione walked over to the crowd of men. They hadn't had time yet to ask what was happening when Mr. Weasley appeared right next to them.

"Another attack?" he asked glancing around him at George, Ron and Harry.

"Yes, thanks for coming, Arthur" Lansing said shaking his hand.

"Not a problem, Molly is at Bill and Fleur's today. I sent them a message, but it will take them a while to get here; there should be enough of us hopefully," he replied.

"Right, well let's go," Lansing said as he twisted on the spot. Mr. Weasley and George followed right away. Tim hesitated, waiting for Harry and Ron.

"Another poisoning?" Hermione asked.

"No, Dementors," Ron explained. She nodded slowly, then grasped his hand and they disappeared.

Harry glanced at Ginny, who looked straight back at him, unafraid. He smiled gently and took her hand, stroking it with the back of his thumb.

"Harry, we'd better go," Tim said quietly.

"Right," he said.

Ginny gripped his hand tightly. "It'll be fine," she said. He smiled then twisted on the spot into the blackness. A few seconds later she was able to inhale deeply; her lungs expanded and she smelled the salty sea air all around her. But something wasn't right, she still felt like she was being squeezed, and it was dark all around her.

When she opened her eyes after being released from the compressing sensation, Ginny gasped quietly and became confused as to why the darkness hadn't ceased yet. She realized the squeezing sensation was not from Apparition, it was from Harry's arms wrapping around her tightly. The blackness that surrounded her was thick as night, but seemed to move with a sinister grace. The longer she stood there, she felt her heart began to beat faster and the air she was breathing in seemed to solidify in her lungs. Before she could grasp the danger of the situation and react, an overwhelming sensation of heaviness and depression engulfed her. What had she gotten herself into? She wasn't strong enough to fight this; she was weak. Just like that night with the Carrows, she was helpless to fight against something so powerful. Her body began to shake violently, there was no escaping this now and she was going to be powerless to stop the assault on everyone she cared about. Her parents were there, she knew it, and Harry, Ron, Hermione, George…everyone she loved, everyone she needed. They were all –

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" A voice yelled in the distance.

A bright light suddenly penetrated the darkness, and Ginny felt the despair lift from her. Glancing to her left, she saw the bright figure of a weasel streak toward where she and Harry were and race around them, scattering the Dementors that had converged on them when they appeared.

"You all right?" Harry whispered, his arms shaking as he held her. Ginny nodded, and gripped Harry's hand as he pulled her to her feet. Harry squeezed her hand tightly and tugged her along behind him. They followed the weasel as it led them back to where the others stood huddled together. Kingsley was at the head, his wand out, the silvery lynx that belonged to him stalking toward where the towering wall of Dementors floated. Mr. Weasley stood to his left; Lansing, Tim and Proudfoot directly to his right. Behind them were George, Ron, Hermione, and Neville, wide eyed and pale as they stared at the mass of black cloaked figures. Ginny glanced at Harry who was looking around at the group.

"Where's Sabrina?" he leaned forward to ask Tim.

"Couldn't find her again," Tim muttered, his eyes still focused on the Dementors.

"Where's Mum?" Ginny asked, leaning toward her father.

"I don't know if they are coming," Mr. Weasley replied.

"Association with you no longer benefits our kind," Kingsley was saying. "Disperse and we will allow you to exist as long as you stay away from the populous. If you refuse, other measures will be taken to assure you will not come into contact society."

"What measures?" a voice whispered. Harry gasped and stepped in front of Ginny, who appeared to not have heard what he had. He watched the crowd of Dementors move closer to them. Harry was sure he'd heard a voice, but when it came again he realized it was only inside of his head, which chilled him even more than the raspy, sinister tone it took. "We cannot be killed, you cannot deny us our space in this world."

"You are limited to the space of the island to the North of Azkaban, and the vacant areas of the coast. If you move beyond those areas, we will simply move you back," Kingsley said.

"How?" replied the harsh whispering voice. At that moment, crowd of Dementors began to swoop around the crowd of people. A rushing noise, the sound of wind whipping or water being sucked down a drain, filled everyone's ears as they all stepped back under the assault.

Tim, Lansing and Proudfoot raised their wands, shouting the incantation as several Dementors crowded around the group. Ginny watched a large light emerge from Tim's wand and solidify into the hippo they had laughed about the morning after Christmas. It was soon joined by a badger, beaver, and from next to where she stood a small silver terrier and coyote emerging from her brother's wands. The Dementors backed away slightly, only to be reinforced by more that swopped in from the edges, dissipating the Patronuses that had been cast.

Ginny gasped allowed as the Dementors converged on them all, the rushing noise growing louder and filling her ears. Harry moved to block her and shouted "_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" The silver stag emerged as the Dementors backed away, slightly. They seemed to inhale and moved to converge again, but before they could there were several small pops and the figures of Bill, Fleur, and Mrs. Weasley appeared. They all mimicked Harry's incantation; the lights from a cougar, kingfisher, and a bear all rushed forward to join the stag that was now stalking toward the Dementors. The others recast their Patronuses, causing a few of the Dementors to scatter as they backed away. Neville raised his wand and an eagle appeared from the tip, flying high toward the Dementors that were scattering; it seemed to chase them off. Ginny saw Hermione raise her wand; her lips moved and a silver otter appeared, swimming to join the other eleven animals now forcing the Dementors to retreat.

Suddenly, the Dementors that had been lingering near the back moved forward, halting the Patronuses in their path. Ginny watched as the lights flickered, some of them beginning to fade.

"_EXPECTO PATRONUM_!" She shouted, raising her wand.

A large light erupted from the end of her wand, solidifying into a tall, brilliantly glowing Arabian horse. It cantered over to where the other animals stood and as soon as its light joined the others the Dementors backed away sharply, several of the figures in the front row falling back and scattering away. Harry glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, giving her an appraising look.

Kingsley waved his Patronus forward and the others followed suit, pushing the Dementors back to the shore of the sea. Several gave up the fight and flew toward the island he had mentioned earlier. Eventually, under the continuing glowing brilliance of thirteen different Patronus charms, the three hundred Dementors scattered, most of them retreating to the island, several others flying into the clouds and disappearing from view.

Kingsley sighed and lowered his wand, his patronus fading away. The others in the group mirrored his movements, except for Ginny. She lowered her wand only slightly, watching as the brilliant horse cantered back over to where she stood. She stared at the animal, slightly in shock, before lowering her arm completely and watching it fade away.

Ginny smiled to herself, she could still feel the warmth from the light of all the animals that had just pushed back the Dementors over the sea. She looked out toward the ocean and could vaguely make out the shadowy figures on the island they had retreated to. She vaguely wondered how long it would be before some of them came back, and how their reappearance would be handled.

"…will be able to see them from the island. Hopefully they got the message today, but if they move back toward mainland the guards will at least be able to keep a majority of them there and notify us before they get too far," Kingsley was saying. Ginny shook her head out of her thoughts and brought herself back to the present.

"I can't thank you all enough. If that lot had been able to get to a village, it would have been devastating for the people there. They're starving, which is why they've grouped together. I'm not sure what will happen to them without a food source," Kingsley added.

"Hopefully they'll disappear," Lansing said, glancing out toward the island where the cloaked figures floated.

The group sighed collectively. "Again, I can't thank you all enough for dropping your plans and coming to help us. If there's ever anything we can do for you all, let us know," Kingsley said looking around at them all.

Small conversations started up, a few members of the group shook hands with Kingsley, Lansing and the rest of the Auror team before disapparating. Mrs. Weasley was a bit shaken up and made all of her children present promise to come to dinner that night at The Burrow. They all agreed enthusiastically as she moved around to hug each of them in turn. Ron and Hermione followed her, apparating to somewhere unknown to the rest of the group. Ginny turned to ask Harry what he had planned for the rest of the day when she felt his arms wrap around her and he turned, taking them into nothingness as he spun away from the coast.

Ginny felt her lungs expand again as they came out of the darkness. She inhaled deeply, noting they were still outside. Before she could open her eyes, Harry had lifter her off her feet, opened the door to Grimmauld Place, pulled her inside and shut the door by pressing her against it. His mouth crashed against hers as his hands pulled her cloak off before sliding down her back to her hips and pulling her tightly against him. Surprised, but pleased, by his sudden urge to kiss her, she responded by grabbing the fabric of his shirt with one hand and wrapping her other arm around his neck to pull him closer still.

As soon as Ginny's fingers tangled into his hair, Harry felt himself lose control of all the emotions he had been restraining since they had Apparated to the seashore. His fear for her safety, frustration that he hadn't been able to protect her from whatever she had felt during the assault, relief that she had been able to assist, pride in her magical abilities, and passion for her bravery, resilience, and tenacity in any situation she was presented with. Her small frame against his body was like oil on a fire; he slid his hands lower to grab her hips and lift her off her feet, groaning against her lips when she wrapped her legs around his waist as he pressed her up against the door.

"Harry?" She whispered as he moved his lips down her neck. He didn't respond, but mumbled against her skin as he continued to kiss lower along her collar bones. "Ron and Hermione…are probably…trying to get in," she said in between her gasps for breath as he moved to kiss her again.

"I don't care," Harry mumbled against her lips.

"But it's cold!" she said with a small laugh.

His lips crashed against hers again and he groaned loudly. "Right…right," he muttered. Deciding he didn't want to stop what he had started, he moved his hands over the back of Ginny's hips grabbing under her legs as he backed away from the door. He quickly carried her up the stairs to his room, kicking the door shut behind him as he threw her on to the bed, falling on top of her.

Ginny laughed as she and Harry fell onto the mattress; she grasped the front of his shirt and pulled him toward her to continue kissing him. His hands tangled in her hair as his lips met hers again. "What brought this on?" she asked as he moved his lips to her neck.

"Happy thoughts," he muttered against her skin.

"This was your happy thought?"

"You are my happy thought," he replied as he moved back to kiss her lips softly.


	23. Testify

Testify

"Pieces of You" Jewel

"I wonder what was wrong with the door," Ron mused quietly.

"I'm not sure. We'll have to ask Harry about it when he and Ginny wake up," Hermione replied.

"You really think they're sleeping?"

"If they're not, I don't want to know what they _are_ doing."

Ron chuckled lightly and traced his fingers across Hermione's bare stomach. They had gotten back to Grimmauld Place after briefly stopping by the Burrow to calm themselves, and had wandered up to his room to be alone. Hermione had taken off the jumper she was wearing and laid back against Ron's pillows. Ron had pushed her undershirt up so he could lay his head against her stomach, explaining that he liked the feel of her skin against his when she eyed him curiously. As he let his fingers draw imaginary lines over the smooth skin of her abdomen, Hermione squirmed and giggled lightly.

"Something wrong?" Ron asked.

"That tickles," she laughed quietly.

"Sorry," he replied with a grin, before resting his head against her stomach and laying his hand on her hip. He inhaled deeply, enjoying the smell of her skin and the feeling of her running her hands through his hair.

"What did you think about?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"What did you think about… when you were casting your Patronus?" Hermione clarified. She slid down next to where he lay and interlaced his fingers with hers.

Ron lifted his head as she moved next to him, allowing her to take his hand and watching as she examined their entwined fingers. "I thought about you," he replied simply.

"What about me?"

Ron kissed Hermione's forehead softly, letting his lips linger there as he thought about her question. "I thought about...how you run to the library when you have a question, or don't know every little detail about something; how you mutter snarky comments under your breath when you think no one can hear you. I thought about that time, after the Yule ball, when I was screaming at you for going with Krum, and you told me I should have asked you before someone else did," he said with a small laugh.

"You thought about all that all at once?" Hermione said.

"Well, you have to think about happy things to sustain a Patronus, you know," he explained. "Besides, since I'm not in school there's a lot more room in my head for things as of late," he said as Hermione laughed lightly. "What did you think about?"

"I thought about kissing you during the battle. And the morning after, when I walked into the hall and you walked up to me so confidently and kissed me in front of all those people," she said, sliding closer to him and nestling his neck. Ron wrapped his arms around her, hugging her gently.

"I thought about that too. And I thought about how you jumped into my arms on your birthday," he said smiling as he rested his forehead against hers.

"I was so shocked to see you," Hermione replied grinning shyly.

"I should shock you more often; I liked that," he said. Hermione grinned and kissed his neck softly. Ron closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of her breath against his skin.

"Am I easy for you?" Hermione asked thoughtfully.

Ron laughed lightly. "Er…how do you mean exactly?"

"I didn't say that right," Hermione replied, blushing red as Ron continued to laugh. "I meant…is this easy for you? To lay like this with me and just…tell me what you think?"

Ron began to play with the curls that lay over Hermione's shoulders, thinking about her question. "Yeah, it is. It's really easy," he replied. "I know you; you've been part of my life for so long that I don't even think about it. That, and you usually know what I'm thinking before I do."

Hermione laughed again; Ron grinned before kissing her gently. She ran her fingers through his hair before pulling him closer to her and rolling slightly on her back. Ron moved his lips down her jaw and over her neck before laying his head against her shoulder, resuming tracing imaginary lines on her stomach again.

"Is it easy for you?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, it is. It feels like…breathing," she said with a smile. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the mattress; the sensation of Ron's fingertips against her bare skin were soothing and stimulating at the same time.

"Did it stop tickling?" he asked lifting his head from her shoulder and lying next to hers on the pillow.

"Not really, but I don't want you to stop," she whispered.

He grinned and moved lower to kiss her stomach. "I love your skin," he whispered.

"That's good; it's all over my body," she said making him laugh.

He paused his kissing and looked up into her face. "So, you thought about kissing me today…when was the first time you ever thought about kissing me?" Ron asked.

"The thought crossed my mind fourth year, but it kind of disappeared when you didn't ask me to the Yule ball," she admitted.

Ron lifted his head and rested his chin in his hand. "Really…" he said, his voice trailing off.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, by then I had at least admitted to myself, and to Ginny, that I fancied you. But you also drove me mad at times, so it was easy to ignore. Fifth year, I toyed with the idea of trying to get you alone to talk about it at least. But, after I saw how you reacted to Cho and Harry kissing, I thought that was a bad idea," she said with a small smile.

"What about sixth year?" Ron asked, turning his eyes away from hers and fiddling with the string on her finger. He was slightly fearful of her response, since he had gotten so upset about her kissing Krum that when Lavender kissed him he just threw himself into it without thinking.

"Sixth year was…difficult for me. Harry and that damn book," she muttered, making Ron laugh. "Yes, I'll admit it, I hated being out performed. But, aside from that…I was starting to try and get you to notice me. I knew Lavender had started to fancy you, and that infuriated me, but she of course had no idea that I thought of you as anything other than a friend," she said, pausing slightly. Ron waited, holding his breath and watching her expression as she talked.

"After I asked you to Slughorn's party, I thought that was it. You seemed irritated at the thought of me going with someone else - which I took as a good sign - and you started to walk closer beside me when we went places. But, then you got so angry at me. You were so upset about something; you were just foul to everyone, and I had no idea why. After that Quidditch game, when I walked in and saw you and Lavender kissing…it was just…awful," she admitted. Ron lowered his head sheepishly, laying it back against her stomach. "Can I ask what made you so angry?"

Ron cleared his throat. "Harry and I ran into Ginny and Dean snogging in that pathway," he said.

"Yes, she told me about that. Was that it? Because, if you would have come with me to the party, I promise I would have snogged you in the hallway … if you wanted," Hermione replied quietly.

Ron lifted his head and looked at her face; her cheeks were reddening slightly as she gave him a shy smile. He temporarily lost his train of thought, suddenly filled with the desire to kiss her, but he decided he should explain himself before he acted upon his impulses.

"No, that wasn't it. Obviously, I wasn't terribly excited to find Ginny and Dean snogging in the pathway like that. I said I didn't want people thinking she was…you know. Then she started shouting at me that it was only because I'd never been kissed that it bothered me. She said that if I went out and got a bit of snogging done it wouldn't bother me anymore, which was probably true. But then she mentioned you…and Krum…" Ron said trailing off. He watched as Hermione's eyes narrowed curiously. "Then I asked Harry about it, he didn't say anything. Obviously, I didn't want to ask you," he muttered quietly, turning his eyes away from hers.

"I just started to get angry; I didn't know why you would ask me to go anywhere with you, when you could have had him. He was famous, he had money…he was everything that I'm not. I was mad that Krum fancied you; out of all the girls he could have had, he fancied you. It pissed me off because he didn't know anything about you. I knew you; I knew you were more than just a pretty girl who studied a lot. He knew nothing, he couldn't even say your name right. Then, as always, I started to feel like you wouldn't have picked me anyway, that if you really had the choice you'd choose him over me because he was all those things that I'm not," Ron muttered.

"That's why you kissed Lavender?" Hermione asked quietly.

"It was more her kissing me, really. But, someone took an interest in me…and I went with it. Even though I saw it hurt you, I went with it, because I'd never had that before. Somewhere in my head it felt like justice; I had been so jealous over Krum kissing you, even though it wasn't your fault I was jealous," he muttered. He watched her nod slowly, a trace of hurt in her eyes. "I'm really sorry, about that as well. I'm an idiot, I spent all this time staking this unannounced claim on you when I don't even deserve you," he whispered quietly, rolling on his back and closing his eyes.

A moment later, Ron felt the fabric of his shirt being lifted up and over his head. He opened his eyes curiously as Hermione discarded his shirt and snuggled into his bare chest. "I love your skin," she whispered.

"That's good…because its-"

"All over your body," she finished for him. Ron smiled and wrapped one of his arms around her, still feeling guilty and unworthy of her affection.

"Can I tell you something?" she whispered glancing up at him. He nodded slowly. "First off, I would have preferred your screaming at me over something that happened two years earlier than you snogging the first person that came along," she said looking into his eyes. Ron felt his face redden and he looked away, but turned back when she brought her hand to the side of his face and turned his gaze back to hers. "Because, I think you knew that it was all right with me that you had an unannounced claim on me," she reminded him. Ron reached up, taking her hand away from his face and interlacing their fingers.

"Secondly, just as it was more Lavender snogging you…it was more Krum snogging me than I him. Meaning, I did not initiate it. To be perfectly honest, it was flattering that someone wanted me, but it didn't feel right…" she said, trailing off. "It wasn't you; I didn't realize until much later that that was the actual issue, but it was."

"Really…" Ron muttered again.

"Is that so hard to believe?"

"Yes."

"You don't give yourself nearly enough credit; you know that, don't you?" Hermione said laying her head against his bare chest.

"Yes, I've been told that before," Ron replied, rolling on his side to hold her closer.

"Aside from all that, now that I've actually had the experience, you are a much better kisser," Hermione said, blushing and smiling as Ron grinned broadly. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, smiling as she responded by threading her fingers into his hair and tracing his lips with her tongue. The pace of their breathing began to pick up rapidly as hands began to explore over each other's bodies. When Ron moved his lips to her neck, Hermione tilted her head back and sighed deeply. "And you make me feel things I didn't know I could feel," she whispered.

Ron laughed and inhaled deeply, letting the cinnamon-vanilla scent of her skin wash over him. "I wish I had a way to replay some of the things you've said," he sighed.

"Why?"

"George was giving me a hard time," he explained, leaving out the intricate details.

"What's new about that?" she asked.

"He was teasing me about you…and us being…er…well, he was trying to tell me how much more experience he has than I do, and made some comment about you having to walk me through things with a book," Ron said blushing slightly.

"Is that what you guys were doing? Talking about girls?" she asked curiously.

"Not really, we talked about other stuff too."

"Hmm," she said thoughtfully. "And George thinks that I'll need a textbook to get myself through intercourse?"

Ron cleared his throat again and blushed brighter. "Not you so much; more like you'd need it to talk me through it," he said quietly.

"I think you're doing just fine," she whispered kissing him lightly. "You're doing better than I am at any rate."

"I think you're doing fine," Ron replied, brushing a hair from her face. She kissed him lightly again before angling her body next to his. She grasped his shoulder and pulled him closer to her, wrapping one of her legs around his hip. Their breath began to quicken in pace as the passion in their kisses increased. A few of Tim's suggestions flew into Ron's mind suddenly, but before he could act or even think about it much, there was a quiet knock on the door.

"Ron? Hermione?" Ginny's soft voice asked.

Ron let the kiss he was bestowing upon Hermione linger for a moment before sighing heavily. "Yeah?" he responded.

"We'd probably better get going, mum is expecting us for dinner," she said quietly.

"Right," he said.

Hermione smiled and kissed him again before sitting up and stretching. She pulled her jumper back on over her t-shirt and watched as he put his shirt back on. "Did George have a particular text book in mind that he'd thought I'd refer to?" she asked with a smirk.

"Er…he mentioned something about a Wendy…or a Lydia?" Ron said.

"I'll have to look it up; for educational purposes only, of course," she teased making Ron laugh loudly as they headed for the door.

******

The next few days passed in a blur. Hermione and Ginny were originally set to return to Hogwarts on the fourth of January, but they had been given an extension to stay in London on the account that Hermione was to testify in the trial against Umbridge. Professor McGonagall had written Hermione after Kingsley had contacted her about the situation.

"…_I assure you that your studies and final grades will not be affected by the delay in returning. I will advise your other Professors of the situation, and expect to see you both on eleventh of January._

_Best regards, and good luck with your testimony, Ms. Granger,_

_Minerva McGonagall"_

"Well that's settled," Hermione said as she scanned the letter. "Now all I have to do is remember what I saw that day."

"You don't remember?" Ron asked.

"I do, but I was also so focused on not being caught that I may have missed the minor details. I want to make sure that I can give them what they need to put that gargoyle away for good," she replied.

"Hermione, I don't think they're looking for dates and times and all of that," Harry said. "I'm guessing they just want confirmation of what took place from a witness. Fortunately for us, Umbridge kept files on everything, so we've basically got all the evidence laid out already, we just need you to confirm it."

"Either way, I want to make sure I'm useful," she said brushing him off. Harry and Ron glanced at each other, both of them smirking slightly.

The morning of the trial arrived, and Hermione found that she was much more nervous than she had expected to be. "I don't really know what they want," she confessed to Ron, as she ran a brush through her curls. "I remember what I saw and heard, but I guess I don't know how it plays into the bigger picture."

Ron shrugged as he pulled on a shirt. "I'm not sure either, but Kingsley must have some idea in mind, he wouldn't have asked otherwise."

An hour later Hermione, Ron and Ginny all arrived at the Ministry for the trial. After registering their wands and getting guest passes, they met Harry in the Atrium and proceeded downstairs to level ten for the hearing. As they walked down the hall toward the courtroom, they ran into Tim and Sabrina, who were standing on opposite sides of the hall and engaged in an intense conversation.

"Even so, where were you that day with the Dementors?" Tim was asking. His arms were crossed as he stared at her intensely. "Kingsley and Lansing couldn't find you, and you never responded to any of our owls."

"I was home, I'm sorry," she explained in a soft tone. "My mother is very sick, and I … I'm not adept at casting a Patronus in the best of circumstances. You don't remember, but the day you were attacked I couldn't pull one off; that's why I had to resort to dragging you inside. I'm not sure I would have been much help," she muttered quietly.

"Well, still, it would have been nice to know where you were," Tim replied, his tone a bit harsh. Sabrina grimaced at his tone before turning toward where Harry and the others approached. Acting as though the exchange had not taken place, Ron and Tim fell in line beside Harry and Sabrina wandered to the back behind Hermione and Ginny.

Hermione glanced at Ginny, who looked just as confused about what they had witnessed. Tim and Sabrina had always seemed to get on well. "Where are you from, Sabrina?" Ginny asked, trying to break the awkward silence that had descended upon them all.

"Konispol, it's a small village about near the border of Greece. My mother is the only family I have, so she has no one to take care of her," she explained in a somber tone.

"I'm sure that Kingsley could help you arrange to have her moved to Britain or Scotland, at least she'd be closer," Hermione suggested.

Sabrina shook her head. "No, the house she lives in is very special to us. My father left when I was a child, and we've been there ever since I was a little girl. I don't think I could ever convince her to leave." Hermione nodded and started to say something, but fell silent when she realized they had reached the doors to the courtroom. The doors opened and the six of them walked inside.

The room was cylindrical in shape; not unlike the one Umbridge had held her Muggle-Born interrogations in. The Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot were seated in rows that ran halfway around the room. They seemed to be reviewing information that had been given to them earlier.

"Has the trial already started?" Hermione whispered.

"Yes," Sabrina responded, turning toward her. "The trial itself has been going on since Monday. This morning's proceedings have started already, but we figured you didn't need to be here until it was your turn to give testimony."

"I see," Hermione said her voice a little shaky. She saw Kingsley walking up the stairs toward where she stood with Ginny.

"Hermione, thank you for doing this. We just need your corroboration about what went on during the interrogations. I will be doing most of the questioning, but I wanted to warn you about a few things," Kingsley said in an ominous tone as Ron and Harry walked over to join them.

"Umbridge has the right, as the accused, to ask you questions as well. So, to avoid those as much as we can, I'm going to ask you to recount, before the court, how you infiltrated the Ministry that day. We need to know why, how, and where you were during the time you were here," he explained to all three of them. "This has the potential to implicate you in several crimes, which is why the new Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot has agreed to grant you all immunity in exchange for your testimony. No matter what you say, you will not be charged with any thing. In fact, both Reg Cattermole and Mafalda Hopkirk have agreed to publicly record their choice to not press charges against you."

Hermione nodded, glancing at Ron and Harry who were just as surprised as she was. "They…they weren't upset about what we did?" Hermione whispered.

"No, not in the slightest. On the contrary, Reg has credited you with saving his family's lives and Mafalda was released from the job of recording the court proceedings, so she was more than happy to agree not to press charges. As far as Runcorn, it's hard for him to press charges when he was convicted over Christmas of forging blood-status documents and conspiracy to commit murder," Kingsley explained.

"All right then," Harry said. "Where do you need us?"

"For now, you, Ron, and Ginny can go toward the back of the room; we'll call you down when we're ready. Hermione, since you were actually the one in the interrogations, you'll be going first. As I said, we'll start with how you three infiltrated the Ministry and go from there," Kingsley said, motioning for Hermione to follow him down the steps.

Ron squeezed her hand and gave her a smile as she descended the steps. He watched as Hermione and Kingsley took their seats at the front of the room before following Harry and Ginny toward the back to observe the proceedings.

Hermione seated herself where Kingsley had indicated, and finally allowed her gaze to fall toward the front of the room. Dolores Umbridge was seated in a chair that rested directly in front of the Wizengamot. She was watching the witches and wizards that were now filing in return to their seats with a dispassionate expression. Her beady eyes looked malicious, and a small smirk played on her slack mouth. She had forgone the hideous bow she typically wore, and replaced it with an equally atrocious headband, which pulled her hair back and gave her the appearance of a frog with an abnormally large bulge on its head.

"If everyone will take their seats, we will begin again with the questioning," said Kingsley's low voice from the left side of where Hermione was seated. The witches and wizards in the court room took their seats and fell quiet. "Chief Warlock Chauncy Lockwood residing as we continue the interrogation of Dolores Jane Umbridge. I would like to now interview our next witness in regards to the interrogations conducted by the Muggle-Born Registration Commission."

"Witness, will you please stand and confirm your full name for the court?" another voice called from behind where Hermione sat. She stood and turned slowly to face the court room; a tall wizard in bright blue robes was seated behind the tallest podium in the center of the rows of seats. Hermione swallowed and cleared her throat before speaking.

"Hermione Jean Granger, sir," she responded in a clear voice.

"May I ask your acquaintance with the accused?" Lockwood said, lifting a quill and to record her response.

"Ms. Umbridge was a Professor during my fifth year at Hogwarts, and I was present during four interrogations conducted by the Muggle-Born Registration Commission," Hermione explained.

"I'd like to note, Mr. Lockwood," Umbridge suddenly interrupted, "that Ms. Granger, here, is in violation of the examination requirement passed by the Muggle-born Registration Commission, seeing as she did not surrender her wand and present herself for interrogation last year."

Hermione heard Ron scoff angrily from the back row, but she looked toward Kingsley for his suggestion as to what to say next. However, it was Lockwood who responded to Umbridge's statement.

"If you'll recall, at the close of proceedings yesterday, all rules, charges, and requirements issued from that commission were declared unlawful. It was ruled unanimously by the Wizengamot that the commission was only formed to further Lord Voldemort's agenda of Pure-blood supremacy," Lockwood explained in a patient tone, as though he were talking to a small child.

"Am I to assume, then, that the Ministry has decided that the eradication of Mudbloods and other half-breeds is no longer a focus?" Umbridge said in a malicious tone, flicking her beady eyes to where Kingsley stood.

"You're assumption is correct, Ms. Umbridge," Kingsley explained. "Moving away from Ministry politics, and back to the charges against you, I would like Ms. Granger here to recount how she came to be present during the interrogations the commission conducted on September the second of nineteen ninety-seven."

"Very well. Ms. Granger, will you describe for the court why you were present in the interrogations on that day?" Lockwood asked in a curious tone.

Hermione cleared her throat and turned her eyes to Kingsley. "The three of us-"

"The three of you being?" Umbridge interrupted. Hermione looked at Kingsley who indicated she should continue.

"Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and myself," she elaborated.

"Ah, the most wanted wizard in the country, a simple boy from the largest family of blood traitors in England, and a mudblood, illegally invaded the Ministry of Magic and disrupted those proceedings. Not to mention, two of my personal items were stolen during their time here. Is this testimony really warranted, Lockwood?" Umbridge asked in a sickly sweet tone. "Can any of these three be trusted?"

Lockwood lifted his eyes and stared at Umbridge with an impassive look on his face. "Given that Mr. Potter is now a Ministry employee, Mr. Weasley is part of a successful business operation, and Ms. Granger is the top student in her class at Hogwarts, I'd say that, yes, they can be trusted," Lockwood said simply, watching as Umbridge glowered in her chair. "Ms. Granger, please continue. Seeing as how the three of you were on the run at that time, might I ask why you decided to enter into the Ministry?"

"Harry had been left a mission by Albus Dumbledore; Ron and I were assisting him in finishing it. There was an …object… we were seeking, and we found out that Ms. Umbridge had acquired this object after it had been stolen from Harry's residence by Mundungus Fletcher. It was for that reason that we decided to enter the Ministry. After observing the entrance to the Ministry for several weeks, we had a plan in place and decided to carry it out," Hermione explained.

"What did this plan include?" Lockwood asked.

"We had a store of Polyjuice Potion, and we decided to assume the identities of three Ministry workers. That morning we arrived, I stunned Mafalda Hopkirk and assumed her identity. We then gave Reg Cattermole and Albert Runcorn some candy that made them ill. Ron assumed Mr. Cattermole's identity, and Harry assumed Runcorn's."

"Once you were inside the Ministry…" Kingsley continued. Ron, Harry, and Ginny sat behind the members of the Wizengamot listening intently to Kingsley's questions, but their focus was suddenly interrupted by Lansing approaching from their left side.

"Harry, you'll be next, and I'd like to have a word with you before hand," he whispered. "It's nothing important; I just want to prepare you for what Kingsley will be asking."

Harry nodded and stood to follow Lansing out. He turned and gave Ginny a small smile as he walked down the left set of stairs and out a small door to the left of the room. Ron watched Ginny sigh and turn her attention back to Kingsley and Hermione's conversation.

"Are you testifying?" Tim's voice whispered from behind where they sat. Ron glanced over his shoulder and watched Sabrina shake her head in response to Tim's question before turning his eyes back to the front. They were sitting about five feet from where he and Ginny were, and he tried to focus on what Hermione was being asked, but became distracted by the whispered conversation now taking place behind him.

"You didn't want to?" Tim pressed.

"I didn't have anything else to give them. I've already given my testimony about how the Commission was formed, there's not much else I can say, since I wasn't there during the trials," Sabrina whispered back.

"It's funny that Kingsley needs more information on what happened during those interrogations, doesn't he have the records already?" asked Tim.

"Yes, he does. But, he's setting her up," Sabrina explained. "After they infiltrated and escaped with those Muggle-borns, the whole group of them were livid. Yaxley, Umbridge, Thickneese, all of them were furious. Yaxley was punished by Voldemort, of course, for allowing Harry and the Muggle-borns to escape; and he brought it down on the rest of them. The punishment for not registering with the commission changed at that point. At first, if you didn't register you were simply brought in against your will; but after they broke in and escaped, Umbridge started offering rewards to anyone who caught Muggle-borns in hiding. That's how those groups of Snatchers were formed, and she basically told them to bring them in, or kill them. Thickneese approved, and it was all over the Prophet the next day: 'come in willingly or suffer the consequences.' Though, the outlook wasn't good for those that did show up willingly."

"What happened to them?"

"We don't know," Sabrina whispered, trying to drop her voice even further. Ron angled his body and strained to listen to Tim's response.

"What do you mean 'we don't know'?"

"I mean, _we don't know_. There are records of numerous people being sent to Azkaban, but none of them were there when the war ended. There are over fifty Muggle-borns who registered with the commission and had their wands confiscated. They were all sent to Azkaban, and all of them are still missing; we have no clue where they are or what happened to them," Sabrina said.

"Maybe they escaped, or they're in hiding still," Tim suggested bleakly.

"Or maybe she had them killed," Sabrina whispered back. "You don't understand her; you've never been around her. Umbridge is… she would never come out and say she was a Death Eater, because she thinks they're all idiots; but she had no problem with Voldemort's new laws. She's not stupid, she knew where the suggestions for these new laws were coming from, but she just smiled and would say 'oh, that will be so good for all of us if we could just get rid of the Mudbloods and Blood traitors'. She'd come in, and order us to write these suggestions into laws and different decrees once Thickneese approved them, which didn't take long since he was under the Imperious Curse."

"So that's where the 'Willing Participation' charge comes from then," Tim said.

"Right; and they're charging her with murder as well, since she helped issue the decree that allowed the Death Eaters and Snatchers to kill if they wanted," Sabrina explained. "Umbridge hates Muggle-borns; she considers them along the same line as half-breeds, like werewolves, centaurs, and other things. As soon as she got the chance to rid her environment of anyone she thought unfit to exist, she jumped on it. She was on cloud nine every time she got to convict someone, and anyone who resisted her or said anything bad about what was going on, ended up on a list of Muggle-borns or blood traitors that were punished or convicted of some crime. I'm still surprised that the she didn't try to collar the Weasleys on something."

Ron's attention peaked again, and he noticed out of the corner of his eye, that Ginny was now straining to listen as well.

"Why would she go after them?" Tim asked in a skeptical voice. "Arthur had no contact with her and Molly doesn't work; they kept their heads down before they went into hiding, all of the Order did. Percy worked with her all the time, didn't he? She didn't go after him," he said.

"No, she didn't, but she kept talking about it; they're known for being blood traitors all throughout the Ministry and the upper social circles she associated herself with. Percy-"

Tim interrupted her. "But they're also the one of the only Pure-Blood families remaining. How could-"

"For now they're pure-blood; but Ron's probably going to end up marrying Hermione, who is a Muggle-born. Ginny is with Harry, and he's half-blood; Bill's wife is part-Veela. At this rate, their blood purity will die out by the time each of those kids gets married," Sabrina said.

Ron and Ginny glanced at each other and were about to turn around to say something, but Tim beat them to it.

"Who cares about that, they still didn't do anything. Merlin, Sabrina, talking like that, perhaps you ought to go up there and be on trial yourself," he muttered in a harsh tone, no longer bothering to keep his voice to a whisper.

"Tim," Sabrina said in a soft tone. "I'm just thinking critically, from her point; that's how she viewed the situation, probably how she still views it. I'll be surprised if it doesn't come up at some point," she explained. When she could see that he wasn't convinced, she reached out and placed her hand softly on top of his. "You know I don't mean that, I love Arthur and Molly. I could care less about anyone's blood status or who they choose to marry. Who am I to talk anyway? I don't even know mine."

"How do you mean?" Tim asked pulling his hand out from under hers.

"I mean, since my dad ran out on us, I could be pure-blood, I could be half-blood. I don't know, so I'm not in any position to judge anyone," she explained softly.

"Still though, pretty convincing argument. Like you've thought it all out," Tim replied quietly.

"Shh," Sabrina responded. "I think they're talking about the actual interrogations now."

"…The documents were changed, I'm not sure what they said before Yaxley and Umbridge reviewed them, but I definitely saw the documents altered that day," Hermione was saying while Umbridge glared at her.

"After the questioning, what happened to the witch or wizard who was being interviewed?" Kingsley asked.

"The four I saw were all convicted and taken away by Dementors, to Azkaban I assume," Hermione replied.

Kingsley nodded solemnly. "Thank you Ms. Granger, your honesty is appreciated. Now-"

"Honesty? This lying, filthy brat is how I ended up in the Forbidden Forrest being assaulted by a herd of half-breed ponies! Her and that little pack of mud-blood loving blood traitors she runs around with." Umbridge screeched suddenly. "Not to mention, she and her little friends assaulted three Ministry employees! Surely-"

"That's enough," Lockwood said with an almost lazy flick of his wand. Hermione watched as Umbridge fell silent, her mouth still moving. When she realized what had happened, it seemed to infuriate her even more; she shook her head and pointed a stubby finger in Lockwood's direction before glaring at Kingsley and Hermione both.

"Ms. Granger, you can take a seat now. The Wizengamot now calls the next witness to the stand," Lockwood announced. Hermione stepped down from the small podium, passing Harry briefly as he moved to take her place. She walked quietly up the stairs to take a seat next to Ron and Ginny, who both looked slightly agitated when she approached.

"Something wrong?" she asked in a hushed whisper.

Ron and Ginny glanced at each other. "No, nothing. Just want to get out of here," Ginny muttered quietly. Hermione glanced at Ron who just shook his head, mouthing for her to ask later.

"You are Harry James Potter, owner and resident of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, correct?" Lockwood asked.

"Yes, sir," Harry responded, not taking his eyes off of Umbridge's malicious gaze.

"Very good; Kingsley, you may continue."

"Thank you," Kingsley said with a small nod. "Harry, can you please confirm the details of Ms. Granger's story are correct? That on September the second Nineteen Ninety-seven, you, along with Mr. Weasley, Ms. Granger, infiltrated the Ministry by disguising yourselves as employees?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"Can you also confirm that, during her time at Hogwarts, Ms. Umbridge was in possession of a Blood Quill, which she used to punish the students for certain offenses?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes," Harry responded.

"Were you one of those students?"

"Yes."

"If you would, please show the court the scars left behind by the quill, if you don't mind."

Harry rolled up the shirt sleeve on his right arm, and held up his hand, palm facing away from the courtroom. Lockwood peered over his podium and examined the white scars curiously. He then nodded towards Kingsley suggesting he should continue.

"Thank you, Harry," Kingsley said. "Now, in regards to part of the interrogation you witnessed, who was the accused on the stand at that time."

"Mary Cattermole," Harry responded.

"You followed her into the courtroom under an invisibility cloak, correct?" Asked Kingsley, watching as Harry nodded. "What happened after you were inside?"

"She … Mrs. Cattermole sat in the chair, and was locked there by chains. There were Dementors all around, and Umbridge began to question her. Yaxley insulted her children at one point I believe, she … she just…" Harry trailed off, remembering the fear on Mrs. Cattermole's face.

"The accused was visibly upset?"

"She was terrified," Harry said.

"At what point did you stun Ms. Umbridge?"

Harry lifted his head and stared down at Umbridge as she sat, silent and fuming, in the chair before him. "She was wearing a locket that had been stolen from my house. It was Salazar Slytherin's locket, she told Hermione the 'S' stood for Selwyn, and that she was related to that family along with several others," Harry explained.

"Why did this upset you?" Kingsley asked.

"Because it was a lie, and I knew the truth," he explained simply, glancing toward his right hand at the words Umbridge had forced him to write.

"At this point the court would like to present evidence of Ms. Umbridge's own forged family tree," he said walking forward with copies of documents for Lockwood and the rest of the Wizengamot.

"This is outrageous!" Umbridge screeched. Harry jumped slightly, startled that the silencing charm had been removed or broken. "My blood is purer than any person in this room! This whole proceeding is a disgusting display of your new power, Shacklebolt. I'll remind you that a warrant was issued for your arrest last year as well," she shouted in his direction. "Mr. Lockwood, I know your family history, I know how respected you are in the upper circles of society; surely, you can't agree with these proceedings and the rulings!"

"My family history has no bearing on the law, Ms. Umbridge," Lockwood explained. "Aside from that, I find the charges against you heinous and despicable; I'll also remind you that you are allowed to ask questions, but these outbursts are out of line, and if they continue, I'll have you escorted back to your cell during the remainder of the proceedings." Umbridge fell silent, her beady eyes flashing with malicious intent.

Lockwood cleared his throat and put on spectacles to examine the documents. "Thank you, Kingsely. Do you have any more questions for Mr. Potter?"

"No, I do not."

"Very well. Mr. Potter, the court thanks you and you may step down," Lockwood said. "Witches and wizards of the Wizengamot, let's have a fifteen minute recess to review the new evidence and then we will return for our final witness in this hearing."

Harry nodded and stepped down from the podium he was seated at. The members of the courtroom began to file out, and two court guards approached Umbridge to take her to a holding room. Harry wandered back up the stairs to where the other three were and sat down next to Ginny. He hadn't been there for but a few seconds when Ron suddenly stood, grasped Hermione by the hand and pulled her out the door. Harry glanced at Ginny with a confused expression, but she just indicated they should follow.

As soon as they were outside, they ran into Ron and Hermione who were standing in a doorway talking in low voices.

"She couldn't have meant anything by it, Ron" Hermione was saying in a soothing tone. She had a hold of Ron's shoulders and was turning him to face her, Harry was reminded of the battle after Fred had died and Hermione was trying to marshal Ron's attention. "She understands Umbridge probably better than all of us; she did work with her for quite some time it sounds like. I'm guessing she was just-"

"You didn't hear her, Hermione," Ginny interrupted as she moved to stand beside Ron. Harry glanced at her curiously, before looking back at Ron and Hermione.

"What's going on? What are you guys talking about?"

"Sabrina," Ron explained. "We overheard a conversation she had with Tim behind us. She said she was surprised that Umbridge and that commission didn't go after our family because we're all blood traitors."

Harry's jaw dropped, he couldn't think of anything to say. "She…she said what?"

"She said Umbridge wanted to go after our family, specifically, because we're blood traitors. When Tim said that we were one of the only pure-blood families left, she said something about how that would end because all of us were going to marry Half-bloods or Muggle-borns," Ron said, his face reddening.

"Ron, in her defense, we _are_ blood traitors, she's not lying about that. And it's true that we were being tracked during the war, so she's probably just explaining to Tim what Umbridge could have been thinking. She also said that Kingsley is trying to set Umbridge up with all this testimony; maybe there's something we don't know about," Ginny said.

"Maybe, I don't know. I'm so sick of everyone insulting our family. Why the hell does it matter who we marry?" he hissed angrily. Hermione approached him and placed a hand gently on his shoulder, this seemed to steady his mood. "You're probably right, Ginny," Ron agreed reluctantly. "Still though, her tone of voice…"

"I'm sure she was just explaining it from Umbridge's point of view. She…Sabrina gets a little wrapped up in things, and it just comes out sometimes when she talks. She's very eager to prove herself. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it; she's always talking about how much respect she has for your parents." Harry said reassuringly. "Plus, Umbridge made her write with the blood quill as well."

"What?" Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all asked at once.

"She's got scars, just like mine, on the back of her hand that says 'Complete Your Task'," Harry explained. Ron, Hermione and Ginny all looked at each other, surprised by this announcement.

The door behind them opened suddenly and Tim peered his head out at them curiously. "All right, guys?"

Harry glanced at the other three who nodded slowly. "Yes, we're fine, we're coming back in," he said quietly. Ron and Hermione walked in first, and he and Ginny followed, all of them silent as they walked back to their seats. Kingsley was standing where they had been sitting, looking slightly concerned as they all reappeared.

"Everything all right?" he asked glancing at the four of them. They all nodded slowly, and he gave them an encouraging smile. "Ron, if you'll come down with me, I'll talk with you briefly about what you can expect on the stand. The Wizengamot should be back in a few minutes," he explained, stepping aside and indicating for Ron to follow him. Ron nodded slowly and descended the steps behind Kingsley.

"Oh dear," Hermione muttered quietly. "I wonder what they're going to ask him about."

"Snatchers," Sabrina muttered.

Hermione, Ginny and Harry all turned to look at her quizzically. She sat with her legs crossed on the bench going over some papers that she had in a folder. "Ginny, I'm so, so sorry you over heard me," Sabrina muttered quietly. "Please know I didn't mean anything by it; I just know how Umbridge thinks, and she talked all the time about wanting to nail your family for something… it just came out, I didn't even think about you guys being in front of me."

Ginny nodded and gave her a small smile. "S'alright. Don't worry, I know how sometimes things just come out of your mouth and you don't mean them," she said thinking about her own temper at times. "What could Umbridge have dug up on our family though? That's what confuses me."

"Well, I'm sure your parents didn't tell you because they didn't want you to worry. But, after Ron was caught by that group of Snatchers, he escaped with one of their wands. They came back to the Ministry and reported it to Umbridge, wanting gold to buy a new one. When she asked what happened and they told her, one of them gave a very accurate description of Ron. She ordered a full investigation of the Burrow, and wanted Mediwizards to go examine the ghoul Ron had transfigured to prove it was him. Of course they wouldn't, because they were scared to death of getting Spattergroit, but she put out to the Death Eaters that he was with Harry and Hermione, and got him on the most wanted list as well. She wanted so badly to get your parents, for some reason she thought they would turn him in, but without proof that he wasn't home, she didn't have any grounds for the Ministry to investigate them any further," Sabrina explained in a somber tone.

Ginny's frowned and glanced toward where Ron stood talking to Kingsley. Harry grasped her hand and squeezed. "Does Ron know this?" he asked quietly.

"Kingsley is telling him now," Sabrina said.

Hermione twisted her fingers together as she sat down on the bench; Ginny moved to sit next to her tugging Harry with them as they watched the Wizengamot file back in. Umbridge was brought to the center of the room and sat in the chair; even from where they sat, they could see her watching Ron with a hungry expression.

"…continuing the interrogation of Dolores Jane Umbridge. Kingsley, your witness is seated and ready?" Lockwood asked. Kingsley nodded and gave Ron an encouraging smile. "Witness, can you confirm that you are Ronald Bilius Weasley?"

Ron cleared his throat nervously. "Yes, sir," he said quietly.

"Very well. Kingsley, please continue with your questioning."

"Ron, I want to ask you about your interaction with a group of wizards around the middle of December Nineteen Ninety-Seven. It's understood you were on the run with Harry Potter and Hermione Granger at that time, and you had become separated from them at that point and were captured, am I correct?" Kingsley asked. But before Ron could respond, Umbridge cackled maliciously.

"Separated? I wasn't aware of that; not content with only being a blood traitor, you turned tail and ran from your friends? You should have stayed away Mr. Weasley, it sounds like you may have been on the right track at that point," she said giving him a cruel smile.

Ron felt his face grow hot over her comments, but remembering what Kingsley had told him, and what they needed to put her away for life, he took a deep breath and tore his eyes away from where Umbridge sat and glanced at Kingsley. "Yes, I became separated from them and was captured by a group of five wizards."

"Might I also point out, that Mr. Weasley here was in violation of Ministry Decree number thirty-seven? 'Enrollment for education at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry is compulsory for all students' I believe it says. Since Mr. Weasley chose to be on the run with Ms. Granger and Mr. Potter at that time, he has also broken a Ministry decree," Umbridge explained in a cheerful voice.

"That was the decree by the Ministry. But this rule does not apply to Mr. Weasley, as attendance was not compulsory for any witch or wizard above the age of seventeen. Perhaps the law should have been reviewed better before it was put into place, Dolores?" Lockwood asked with a grin.

Ron stifled a laugh as he watched Umbridge's face go from one of cheerful passiveness to one of complete rage in a manner of seconds. She heard his scoff and sucked a huge breath into her slack cheeks. "Well, that being the case then, Mr. Weasley is definitely guilty of feigning an illness to escape justice from the Ministry for being on the run, and his parents would also be guilty of aiding a fugitive from justice. That being the case, I call for his testimony to be stricken from record, as Mr. Weasley should be tried for his crimes before he is allowed to testify," she hissed vindictively.

Ron went white, Kingsley hadn't mentioned this turn of events, and it was true: though he had been granted immunity, his parents could be charged with aiding a fugitive for not revealing their whereabouts when they were at Shell Cottage. He glanced at Kingsley with a fearful look, but Kingsley remained calm and glanced up at Lockwood.

"Arthur and Molly Weasley have testified that they were under the impression he was ill, and reported that information to the ministry, as documented on August twenty-eighth of Nineteen Ninety-Seven. They have also declined to press charges against Ronald for-"

"They don't have a choice!" Umbridge hissed. "This boy continuously chooses to be a part of his blood traitor family, and the whole lot of them are guilty of hiding fugitives on numerous occasions. We also have information that Mr. Weasley was part of an assault on Ministry employee Ivan Travers during a break-in at Gringott's wizarding bank. Mr. Lockwood, you cannot allow-"

"You are aware of an assault against Ivan Travers? The last contact he had with the Ministry was on April twenty-eighth of last year and he never mentioned an assault. Have you spoken with him? If so, he is currently on the Ministry's most wanted list, and you'll need to reveal his whereabouts," Lockwood said eyeing Kingsley.

"I don't know where that damn idiot is, but I know he was assaulted! When the break-in-"

"The only people who were aware of that break-in at the time, and the resulting effects of it, were Lord Voldemort, Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Mr. Malfoy has been under imprisonment since May, and had testified that he had not heard or spoke with you since before December of last year. Subsequently, the information regarding the Gringotts break-in was not made public by the Ministry or the Daily Prophet, all the information about it was purely hearsay. Where did you get such accurate information, Ms. Umbridge?" Kingsley asked.

Umbridge closed her mouth; her eyes were wide with shock. She glanced around the room at the faces watching her and sat back in her chair slowly. "It was a rumor I heard," she muttered.

"Well, since we're dealing with facts at this point and not rumors, let's get back to the questions at hand, shall we?" Kingsley said in a calm tone.

"Why the hell isn't he pushing her more about where Travers is?" Harry whispered loudly looking at Sabrina and Tim. "If she knows where he is-"

"She doesn't, Harry," Sabrina whispered back. "The story was filtered through the channels back to her through Thickneese, she was just trying to get Ron thrown out for what he's about to say."

Harry turned back toward the front and listened to the line of questioning.

"…testimony is that, upon capture, you were physically assaulted, and had your wand taken from you. Did they ask you any questions about your identity?"

"Yes, they asked me who I was. I told them Stan Shunpike, and they began reviewing a list of names to see if he was on there," Ron recalled. He ran his hands through his hair, pausing to scratch the back of his head. "His name wasn't on the list, so then they started to ask me about what house I was in and my age."

"Did any of them say anything that sounded odd to you?"

Ron fell silent, his face passive as he concentrated on the memories of that night. Something flooded into his mind, and his eyes widened as he recalled what they had said. He had been too busy trying to think of a way out of the situation to realize the full impact of what the wizard who was holding on to him had said.

"One of them said that…that if they couldn't figure out who I was, they'd just bring me in, and the Head of the Commission would just make up something so they could put me away," he said, glancing at Umbridge with wide eyes.

"Thank you, Ron. You can step down now if you wish," Kingsley replied in a quite tone.

Ron stepped down from the podium and almost ran to the top of the room where Hermione, Ginny and Harry were seated. Before he was even seated, Kingsley had turned his questioning back to Umbridge who was livid with anger.

"…the Head of the Commission would 'make up something', so anyone who was caught could be put away. Were you the Head of the Muggle-born Registration Commission, Ms. Umbridge?"

"I was, and these filthy, lying, traitors-"

"And you authorized falsification of trial documents to put countless witches and wizards who were not guilty of the accused crimes behind the bars of Azkaban, correct?"

"I did, and it was for the-"

"Where are those witches and wizards now, Ms. Umbridge? We have record of numerous people being sent to Azkaban, including several Muggle-born children whose parents never saw or heard from them again after they put them on the Hogwarts Express," Kingsley said, his voice rising against Umbridge's protests.

"Those filthy brats didn't deserve to be brought to our world! It's already polluted enough with the Mudbloods, half-breeds and blood traitors running around, polluting our courtrooms and our offices with these ridiculous new ideals and laws! I sent them to Azkaban, where they belonged! And I set the Dementors loose when there were too many to keep! It doesn't matter the age they were! They deserved that punishment for the theft of our magic!" Umbridge screeched, rising out of her chair and taking a step toward Kingsley. The two courtroom guards moved quickly to restrain her, pushing her back in the chair, and flicking their wands so chains snaked around her arms and ankles.

Kingsley glanced at Lockwood, who shook his head somberly. There was silence in the room as the echo of Umbridge's words sank into everyone's ears. Ron looked toward his left to see Hermione and Ginny white faced with their hands over their mouths. Harry's eyes were wide; he glanced over at Ron and shook his head slowly.

"Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot, you have heard testimony about the interrogations held by Ms. Umbridge, her use of torture methods during her tenure both at the Ministry and at Hogwarts School, and her orders to the groups sent to round up Muggle-born witches and wizards. I offer these proceedings into evidence, and have no further questions for Ms. Umbridge, or our witnesses," Kingsley said after a brief silence.

"Ms. Umbridge, would you like to say anything in your defense?" Lockwood asked.

"You can lock me up, you can abolish these laws, and you can praise these traitors to Wizarding kind. But this is not the end of it, there are those who hold the same ideals as I do, and they will not be silenced. I pity anyone on the side of the mud-bloods when the Dark Lord's heir is revealed," she hissed maliciously.

Lockwood shook his head. "Very well. Witches and Wizards of the Wizengamot, proceed to the drawing room for deliberation. We will call you back when we have a verdict, Ms. Umbridge. Guards, return the prisoner to her cell for the time being," he muttered quietly. The quartet watched as the people in the courtroom filed out silently. They all glanced at each other as they stood up, each one silently wondering what Umbridge had meant by her words, and how long it would be before the trial, and the fallout from Voldemort's horrific tyranny would be over.

*************

"Guilty on all charges," Ron said, as he took another shot of the Firewhiskey in front of him. He, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny, were sitting in the Leaky Cauldron that evening after the trial had concluded.

"Small favors," Harry muttered following his motions. He couldn't get the thought of eleven year old witches and wizards being marched to Azkaban out of his head.

"I wonder what they'll do for those Muggle families," Ginny asked quietly. No one responded; they were all to consumed by the horrifying images her words painted into their minds.

Harry signed heavily after several moments of silence had passed. "There's nothing they can do for them, accept help them move on, like we've all got to," he said quietly. The other three nodded in agreement, the grim reality of his words washing over them like a pouring rain. They finished their drinks and began the walk back to Grimmauld Place for the night. As they walked, the solemn attitude hung over their heads, almost as though a cloud had descended upon them all.

"Do you think it will ever be over?" Hermione asked quietly glancing at Ron. He shrugged and squeezed her tighter against him. She peered over her shoulder at Harry and Ginny waiting for a response.

"Someday it will be," Harry said. "But I'm not sure when."

They walked in silence under the stars until they reached their destination and entered the house. Across town and over the landscape far away from where they were, the island in the middle of the sea had a new resident, and she received a cloaked visitor late that evening.

"You've got to control that ridiculous temper of yours," the figure muttered.

"You let this happen to me! You let that filthy, know-it-all mud-blood sit there and talk about what she saw! And that filthy blood traitor, if only they had just killed him! I should have just issued the order for them to kill anyone they thought was a mud-blood, course they still would have demanded gold. I just can't-"

"I didn't let anything happen. You let this happen to yourself. I told you to just stay calm when they came to arrest you, but no, you had to go after Potter right then and there, which was completely against my orders. And I told you to hold your tongue during the trial, but you screamed your head off and insulted those three any chance you got! If I would have known you'd be so stupid, I wouldn't have involved you in our plans. Can't you see-"

"I can't stand it!" Umbridge screamed, throwing herself against the bars and grasping the figure by the front of its robes. "This filth all around us all the time now! Even when Cornelius was in office, it was just a nightmare having those muggle-loving blood traitors around in addition to the mud-bloods who worked at the ministry!"

The figure pried her hands from its cloak, scowling at her as though she was some sort of a sea slug who had attached itself to the fabric. "Sometimes you have to stand it; the Death Eaters did for years. The Dark Lord's subtly is what allowed him to gain control. You would do well to-"

"Yes, and look where all is subtly got him," Umbridge scoffed.

The figure whipped out a long, pale white wand, and a bright white light filled Umbridge's cell. She screeched loudly and when the light faded she was disentangling herself from her prison gown and getting to her feet, hair a mess and face alight with rage.

"Watch it! You only got this far because I helped you!" she hissed.

"I got this far because I have my father's _subtly_. Insult him again, and I'll subtly make sure you are killed," the figure hissed.

"Well, now that I'm stuck here, how are you going to proceed? Obviously, I can't help you, but you've gotten inside the Ministry so I wouldn't be useful anyway, I suppose. But still, how long do you plan to keep me here?"

"They wanted your blood, they've got it now, so you'll stay until I can get the majority of those who oppose us killed off. Just keep quiet. We've got to keep up the appearance that all of the Death Eaters are in hiding. They can't suspect them or else they'll go right-"

"They already suspect them!" Umbridge screamed. "That poisoning was the worst idea I'd ever heard of. And now all those muggles are in St. Mungo's, being cared for, while I'm out here and –"

"You know, for thinking about the bigger picture of power, you're awfully concerned with your position at this point. The Dark Lord was alone and friendless for eleven years. You're saying you can't last a few months?"

"You've got a few months, if it's longer than a year I'm done. I will out you and say I've switched sides," Umbridge threatened.

"Yes, then you can just cozy up next to Hermione Granger when she gets a job in the law office," the cloaked figure responded. "I'll believe that when I see it. Just keep your fat mouth shut and stick with the plan. I'll be visiting you frequently, so keep in line."

With that, the figure turned on it's heal and stalked away, leaving Umbridge shivering and furious in her cell.


	24. Surprise

Surprises

"Make this go on forever" Snow Patrol

* * *

Hermione and Ginny reluctantly left for Hogwarts the next day. Both of them had hoped that the trial would leave them feeling exuberant that Umbridge was now imprisoned, and that they would be able to enjoy their last evening before returning to their studies, but it seemed that their emotions had other things in mind. Ginny and Harry spent their last evening together playing chess and talking about Quidditch, before succumbing to exhaustion and falling asleep in each other's arms. For Hermione, it was different; the trial had left Ron moody and belligerent, and she couldn't seem to break him out of his cloud of depression.

"Ron," Hermione said quietly, rousing him from his thoughts. "Nothing is going to happen to your family. No one is going to charge them, or you, with anything. So stop worrying!"

"I get so sick of being called names," Ron muttered. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, elbows resting against his knees and his face buried in his hands. Hermione inched herself close to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his back.

"They're just names," she said.

"They still bother me; don't they bother you?"

"No, they don't; it doesn't bother me at all. Being called 'mudblood' is just part of life for me, I guess; it's just a word. And it's one that I will hear less and less as time passes, I'm sure."

"The difference in that is the attitude toward you is more pity than hatred right now. Most people now feel sorry for Muggle-borns for all the persecution. But they don't understand us," he said angrily.

"Us who?" Hermione asked leaning away from him.

"'Blood-traitors'," he said turning toward her. "We'll never be good enough for anything. You'll probably get higher pay than my dad does just because of your blood status; people will feel sorry for you because of all the persecution."

"Because that's what I want; more money, and _pity,_ for me being Muggle-born," Hermione replied in a sarcastic tone of voice. "Ron, listen to yourself; this is ridiculous! Everyone who still uses the term 'blood-traitor' is on the outs; they don't have a place in this new world. Can't you just let their opinions go?" she asked quietly.

Ron sighed, she was right. Why did it matter what the world thought of him? "I'm sorry, Hermione. I just… I don't know where that insecurity comes from. I just want it to be over," he muttered.

Hermione sighed and stood up to face him. She didn't have the heart to tell him it came from within himself so she kissed him softly instead. Ron responded by wrapping his arms around her and laying her gently down on the bed, letting his weight rest on top of her as they kissed slowly. Wrapped in each other's arms, it wasn't long after their kisses ended that they both fell asleep.

Back at Hogwarts, the sensational news of the trial, not to mention the details of how Hermione, Ron, and Harry broke into the Ministry, hit the front page of _The_ _Daily Prophet_ on Monday morning. Hermione and Ginny, both, were bombarded with questions about the proceedings by students and a few professors, as well.

"Always knew there was something awful about her. Serves, her right," Slughorn had commented to them as they entered the Potions Dungeon. Hermione simply nodded, hoping to move on from the subject quickly. She had already been badgered by Lavender and Parvarti that morning at breakfast and was tired of talking about it. Ginny was irritated as well, her roommates had begun to take shots at her family in addition to badgering her about Harry, which left her touchy and irritated at everyone around her.

"Hermione! You're back; getting a late start after break?" Draco's voice called cheerfully. He wandered in and sat at the table next to hers.

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Ginny leaned around her and glared at Malfoy with vindictive eyes. "I take it you missed the _Prophet_ this morning, Draco?" she asked.

"Um… apparently. Is the _Prophet_ why you weren't back last week?" he asked curiously.

Ginny huffed and sat back in her chair while Hermione sighed. "I wasn't back last week because I was busy with something, Draco."

"Oh," he said, turning his eyes toward the front. Much to her relief, Professor Slughorn chose that moment to start the lecture, providing her with some silence and relief from everyone's questions.

After classes were finished, Ginny went to Quidditch practice and Hermione wandered to the library to finish up her essay on human to animal transfiguration. She was alone for about an hour when, suddenly, a low, drawling voice whispered in her ear.

"I read the _Prophet_," Draco whispered.

Hermione jumped and skidded backward in her chair; she watched with fierce eyes as Draco chuckled over her reaction. "Merlin's beard, Draco! You've got a lot of nerve, you know," she hissed, glancing over at the desk where Madam Pince sat glaring at the two of them.

"Oh, come on. You shouldn't be so jumpy," Draco teased taking a seat next to her. Hermione huffed and returned to her parchment and continued writing.

"So, I read the _Prophet_," Draco said again.

"I heard you the first time," Hermione replied, not looking away from her paper.

"Pretty impressive that you three broke into the Ministry like that; good thing Umbridge is in Azkaban now. She was rather psychotic," he mused.

Hermione looked up quizzically. "You were part of her little Inquisitorial Squad, were you not?"

"Yeah, but that was just-"

"I distinctly remember you laughing hysterically when Umbridge insulted Dumbledore, Hagrid, McGonagall…oh, and let's not forget your little friend Millicent Bulstrode choking the life out of me while we stood there watching Umbridge beat up Harry and-"

"She could be a little rough, I'll give you that. But, I only did it to score good with my parents; they were all over me to be a part of it. But that's over and done now, right?" Draco said with a small shrug.

"Oh, of _course_," Hermione replied in a sarcastic tone. "Never mind the scars Harry still has on his hand from that woman carving into his skin. Never mind-"

"I never got the impression that Potter was bothered by scars?" Draco muttered in a sneering voice.

Hermione glared. "Thought you were over the jealousy, Draco?"

Draco smiled slightly, and slid a little closer to where she sat. "The only thing I'm jealous of Potter for is that he gets to spend more time with you than I do," he whispered with a grin.

"Well, you should be more jealous of Ron in that case," Hermione said, reiterating the point she had tried to make before the holidays: that she belonged to Ron only. She watched with a small hint of satisfaction as Draco's grin flickered, and anger flashed through his eyes. "I mean, Harry mostly spends time with Ginny. Ron and I like to have some time toget-"

"What do you see in that stupid prat?" Draco suddenly asked, dropping all civility in his tone.

"I see a lot more in him than I do in you," Hermione hissed. She grabbed her parchment, books, and quill and stood to storm out of the library. She hadn't gotten but a few steps when Draco's hand seized her arm, causing her to drop everything she was carrying.

"Sorry," he muttered bending down to help her pick things up. Hermione didn't say anything; she was done talking to him. The fact that he was still pursuing her after she had told him, flat out, that she was not interested was beginning to be more of an annoyance that she had bargained for.

"Seriously, though," Draco continued, holding her last book away from her. "What do you see in him? I don't understand it. I looked up your parents over break; they're rather wealthy. They're both dornatists, or something. "

"Dentists," Hermione corrected, with an irritated sigh.

"Whatever, but they have money. You stay with Ron, and you'll end up in a shack just like his parents; raising chickens, and having no money, and-"

"Money doesn't matter to me! Ron and his family have always been enormously kind and caring toward me. Yours on the other hand-"

"That's over now…it is! Look, Hermione… you're too good for him. You're too good to be stuck in the situation he'd put you in. He's lazy, just like his parents! He relied on you, and Potter, to get him through school and everything else. He can't even think on his own, he has to rely on someone else to…to…" Draco stuttered, looking around for a word to use.

"Ron is not lazy! And you don't have a leg to stand on for that matter; you relied on Crabbe and Goyle to get you out of everything, or your mummy and daddy! Draco, just…leave me alone; I'm not interested in you, or anything you have to offer. I thought maybe you'd changed, but you haven't; I gave you a chance, but this is too much. I don't want to be your friend, or anything else you have in mind," she hissed walking off.

"Why not?" He called after her, breaking into a run to keep pace with her. "I can give you everything you want! Hermione… I'm at least interested in you for more than just your brains. I see your good points, so much more clearly now than –"

"What the hell? My 'brains'? My 'good points'?" Hermione asked, stopping in her tracks and turning to face him. "What…I don't even understand this! Is this some guilty conscience thing? Because I helped save your life? Or- or-do you feel guilty because you just stood there, while I was tortured? How can you suddenly have this infatuation with me? I don't…I … you know what, don't even attempt to explain it. You're mad; Draco… is someone slipping you a love potion or something? How they got my hair or whatever it is you're supposed to add to it is beyond me. You might want to start checking you're drinks, Draco. Or, start doing what Mad-Eye did and only drink out of a flask," she suggested turning to walk away.

"No one is slipping me a love potion! I just…I can't get you out of my head. Your hair, your eyes, you're so beautiful… And the thought of you kissing or… just being with that prat Weasley-"

"Do me a favor," Hermione screeched. "Just shut up about Ron or anyone else I care about, and leave me alone!" With that, she stormed away up the stair case, her hair whipping Draco in the face as she turned.

"Hermione, I have your potions book!" she heard Draco call from the bottom of the stair case.

"Keep it! I'll borrow Ginny's," she shouted back as she climbed the stairs. She stormed all the way to Gryffindor tower, slamming the portrait door behind her when she entered and leaning against the door. The noise level around her told her that the common room was crowded and rowdy; she opened her eyes, scanning the room for Ginny's red mane of hair for a few minutes before finally locating her under a window next to Demelza Robbins. She was stroking Deacon's feathers absentmindedly, and waving her wand over what appeared to be a miniature horse running around the table.

Hermione wandered over to where they sat as Ginny looked up with a grin at her presence. She ceased waving her wand, and Hermione watched as the paper horse stopped galloping and folded neatly back into a square. "What is that?" Hermione asked.

"Harry sent me a letter; he put a charm on it so it would take that shape when I wasn't reading it, that way one else could read it either. Pretty impressive, huh?" she said asked giving Hermione a grin. Her smile fell, however, as she took in Hermione's expression. "Is everything all right?"

"Did Ron send anything?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Actually, no. But he's probably busy since the shop opened back up; he was gone for quite a few days," she said consolingly.

Hermione nodded, her spirits falling lower than they already were. She had been looking forward to a letter from Ron to cheer her up after Draco's insanity. She sighed heavily, "I think I'll write him; I hope Deacon isn't too tired, because I'd really like to send it tonight."

The owl flew to her shoulder and nestled against her head, making her smile gently. Ginny was watching her with curious eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes, just…I'm fine. I just want to talk to Ron," she muttered quietly. "I'm going to bed; I'll see you in the morning."

"Night," Ginny muttered, watching curiously as Hermione walked away. She picked up her quill and resumed her response to Harry, adding in a small note about Hermione's depressed demeanor.

When Hermione got to her room, she immediately grabbed her quill and a piece of parchment. She sat down at her desk and began to write furiously.

_Ron,_

_I shouldn't have come back after the holidays. I should have just stayed in London and finished my N.E.W.T's up there. Everyone is asking about the trial, and I just had the most obscure run in with Draco Malfoy. I'm just tired of being here without you mostly; it was so much more tolerable to go to class when I'd have you and Harry to talk to afterward. I miss you so much already._

_Anyway, how is the shop? Ginny guesses you're very busy since it re-opened…"_

"That's quite the letter," Harry observed, watching as Ron leafed through the three pieces of parchment Hermione had completed in her tiny handwriting. "Deacon got back last night; are you just now reading it?"

"Yeah," Ron muttered in a surly voice. "She keeps mentioning Malfoy, he's still after her; it's starting to bother me."

"Bother you that he's after her, or bother you that she's mentioning him?" Harry asked.

"Both," Ron muttered. "Ginny told me over break that before we picked them up, Draco approached her and basically asked her to ditch me and hook up with him." Harry laughed and Ron cast him a confused glance. "Something funny about that?"

"Did she slap him again? Has he lost his mind? He's mental if he thinks she'd ever consider it," Harry said still, chuckling at the thought.

Ron glared at him. "She didn't slap him. Mind you, I said Ginny told me about it…not Hermione."

Harry stopped laughing as Ron glared. "I wouldn't worry about it mate, he's crazy," he said lightly. "She'd never even consider it," Harry assured him. He watched as Ron nodded, but poked at his eggs in an irritated fashion. "Ron," Harry said again, "she only wants you; she probably didn't tell you because she knew you'd just worry about it. You've got to trust her."

"I trust her, I don't trust him," Ron replied, giving her letter another glance.

The next three weeks passed slowly. January faded into February, and life seemed to move on. Harry was busy as ever at the Auror office, there had been another poisoning in Muggle village that resulted in the death of three men after Mungo's had been unable to counteract the venom in time. Whoever was responsible for the act had also switched the herbs mixed with something much more toxic. Tim had had no luck in identifying the source of venom or an antidote for the herbs, which left Mungo's with little options for antidotes, and the rest of the office scrabbling to figure out who was behind it all.

Ron continued to work in the shop, feeling lonely without Hermione, and worried about the letters she continued to send. He tried to respond, but every time he started to write, he felt so angry that Draco was there pestering her that he couldn't think straight. It seemed like he could hear Draco insulting and mocking him from within the pages she wrote. It didn't help that a few of the articles published in the Daily Prophet brought bad publicity for his family, further fueling his insecurity that he was nothing more than a simple boy from a poor family.

"…_Though formal charges will not be filed, several witches and wizards feel that this is unbecoming behavior for such a large, well known family. _

'_The dishonesty of it! I don't care if he was with Harry Potter, to lie to school officials like that, and shame on the parents for cooperating,' said Pauline Princeton of London._

_The Prophet was unable to reach school officials for comment, but the fact that Ron Weasley didn't return to Hogwarts for his final year of school, choosing instead to join his brother in running the local Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes shop, certainly implies that the boy does not respect his education properly. Or perhaps, Hogwarts wouldn't let him back in for his lies. Either way, it is certain that Ron Weasley's trustworthiness is questionable, at best."_

"Ron," Harry said, nudging him in the shoulder, "Its Rita Skeeter. You can't expect it to be anything good when it comes from her."

"Bloody wench, 'doesn't respect his education'. I can't believe they allow her to publish still," he growled angrily.

"Come on, just let it go. No one thinks that your family did anything wrong, and you know it," Harry said consolingly.

"Pauline Princeton does," Ron muttered.

"I'll bet she doesn't even exist," Harry said. "Skeeter probably made her up to boost her article."

Ron nodded, but the comments still bothered him. Between that and Hermione's letters constantly describing her irritation with school – which he took to mean Draco was still pestering her – made him moody and depressed a majority of the time. He didn't respond to her letters as he previously had; the surly mood he was in left him unable to write coherent thoughts. He knew it worried her, she mentioned it frequently in her letters. But the depression and anger that engulfed him left him unable to put pen to paper.

"_I haven't heard from you in weeks! Is everything okay? I know that you're probably upset about that stupid article Rita Skeeter wrote, but don't worry. I even talked to McGonagall; she said no one from the Prophet even tried to contact Hogwarts about your education. Rita is just adding oil to the fire. Please don't worry…"_

"_I miss you all the time, Ron. You can come to my room, the fire place is hooked up now; I just can't leave, it only works one way. Otherwise, I'd be over there to hex you for not responding to me! Just joking, of course, I'm sure you're busy. But, please write back soon. I love you…"_

Valentine's Day approached, and with Harry's encouragement, Ron joined in his plans to surprise Ginny and Hermione by meeting up with them in Hogsmeade on the thirteenth. Ginny's quidditch match against Hufflepuff was the same day. Harry was taking off early to watch, as he knew Gwenog Jones would also be present, scoping out Ginny's talent. Ron decided to help George out in the shop that morning, and meet up with them both at the Three Broomsticks after he had located Hermione.

Harry arrived and wandered into the castle. He knew Ginny would be with the team discussing strategy, so he decided to head up to Professor McGonagall's office to ask if he could sit in the Professor's box; this would prevent her from knowing he was there watching her, which he thought would make her nervous. The gargoyle moved aside at the announcement of his name, and he wandered up the spiral staircase, knocking on the door when he arrived.

"Potter," Professor McGonagall greeted. "This is an unexpected pleasure, please come in. May I ask the reason for your visit?" she said, standing aside and watching as he walked in.

"Thanks, Professor. I came to watch Ginny play; Gwenog Jones is going to be in the crowd, I wanted to see what happened," he explained.

"I had heard that rumor; good for Ms. Weasley. She's quite talented, much as you were," McGonagall replied.

"Could I sit in the Professor's box? It's kind of a surprise. I don't want Ginny to know I'm here," he said a little sheepishly.

McGonagall gave him a warm smile. "Yes, that will be fine. Just let me grab a few things, and I'll walk down with you. I'd like to discuss these poisonings that have been going on, as well," she explained as she ascended to the second level of her office.

Harry glanced around at the portraits, snoozing peacefully in their frames. His eyes fell to Dumbledore's at last, and he sighed deeply before looking down at his trainers. He felt a pang of remorse as he thought about his former headmaster, wishing that he was still able to talk with him from time to time.

"You still can, you know," a voice suddenly muttered. Harry turned to see Dumbledore's portrait smiling benevolently at him from above. "And how are you, Harry?"

"I'm good, Professor. I'm very, very good," he replied quietly.

"I hear you are in the Auror office now?"

"Yes, it's very difficult, but it's worth it," he said.

"I'm proud of you, Harry. Very proud," Dumbledore responded with a smile. "And how are Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger?"

"They're good! They're very good! Ron is working with George at the shop, and Hermione is back here in school, of course," he said with a laugh.

"Yes, I've heard both her and Ms. Weasley are doing well. Though, that must be hard on your relationships," Dumbledore said.

Harry looked confused. "How did you-"

"Ah, Harry. We have eyes all over the castle, you know. I heard rumors of you and Mr. Weasley picking up Ms. Granger and Ms. Weasley before break," he said with a wink.

"Er…right," Harry said blushing.

"It seems you share your father's fondness for red haired women," Dumbledore mused thoughtfully.

"Perhaps so," Harry said with a light chuckle. Just then, McGonagall descended the stairs with her cloak and hat.

"Ready to be off then, Potter?" she asked.

"Yes, Professor. Um…Good-bye, Professor," Harry muttered toward Dumbledore's portrait.

"Until next time, Harry," Dumbledore responded.

McGonagall smiled and headed for the door. Harry glanced around the office one more time, and as he did, something very strange hit him.

"Where is Professor Snape's portrait?" he asked suddenly.

McGonagall stopped. "Professor Snape?" she asked curiously.

"Yes, he was headmaster wasn't he? Why doesn't he have a portrait?" Harry asked.

"Well, he um…" McGonagall stuttered. "He abandoned the post, so the office doesn't recognize him as being headmaster."

"He didn't abandon it, he left to try and find me so he could pass me his memories. He was the only one who knew I was the last horcrux," Harry said.

"Yes, well, we know that now, but the office doesn't. It would take a special exception and signatures from all the board members to get his portrait put up," McGonagall explained. "Potter, does it bother you that he doesn't have one?"

"Well…yeah," Harry said. "He was loyal to our side, he's part of the reason I'm alive and Hogwarts was safe. I've heard some things that … happened during last year. He stopped the Carrows from being much more vicious than they could have been," he explained, remembering Ginny's story of how Snape stepped in and prevented Amycus from attacking her.

McGonagall considered him. "Very well. Bring it up with Kingsley, he'll need to issue Snape an official pardon in order and get all the board members signatures on the decree for us to undo the magic in order for the portrait to be put up," she explained.

Harry nodded, "I'll do that then." McGonagall nodded, and with that they headed out the door to watch the game. Harry looked back as he shut the door behind him to see Dumbledore's portrait smiling broadly at him.

The quidditch match was one of the more exciting games Harry had witnessed. Harry spied Gwenog Jones sitting next to Professor Slughorn, and gave her a broad smile when they looked his direction. Ginny was spectacular; her passes to her team mates were flawless and she scored eighteen of the team's twenty goals. The match finished when Dennis caught the Snitch just under the Hufflepuff seeker's nose after a spectacular dive. Harry was quite impressed with her team, and was pleased that Gwenog seemed to share his emotions.

After the match, Harry stood outside the locker rooms and talked with Professor Flitwick and McGonagall about the recent poisoning episodes, seeking their advice on how to possibly track anyone who moved closer than necessary to the water supplies of local towns. Their conversation lasted for quite some time, but Harry excused himself when he saw Gwenog exit the door, still talking to someone inside. Harry couldn't over hear the words, but she was smiling broadly and she seemed very excited about the conversation. Harry waited outside in the hall for Ginny to emerge, unable to keep the excited smile from crossing his face when she finally came out.

"I know! I can't believe it, I just can't! I wonder if I should train more, or what I can do?" Ginny was saying to Demelza Robbins. Demelza shrugged, but smiled broadly as they walked. She had just turned and glanced down the hallway, noticing Harry standing and waiting as Ginny bent down to tie her trainers.

"Ginny, I think you have another visitor," she said in a sing-song voice, giving Harry a wink.

"Did she bring someone else? Who –" Ginny asked, cutting off as she looked up and saw Harry grinning at her from across the hall. "Harry! What? When did you get here?" she exclaimed, standing up and running over to where he stood.

"Before the match," Harry said simply, wrapping his arms around her tightly when she reached him.

Demelza laughed lightly. "I'll see you around, Ginny. Good to see you, Harry!" she called walking away from the pair.

"Bye," Ginny shouted before turning back to Harry, her eyes bright with excitement. "I can't believe this! You saw the match then?"

"Yeah, nice save when Dean dropped the quaffle after Lorilen hit him," Harry said, hugging her again.

"Ugh, I'm surprised Madam Hooch didn't call that one. But anyway, did you see who was here?" she said, dropping her voice slightly.

"Gwenog Jones?" Harry responded, watching her nod. "I did, what did she have to say?"

"She reserved me a spot during the try outs in June; it's right after school ends! She wants me to go for chaser," Ginny exclaimed, her voice rising in pitch with her excitement.

"That's brilliant!" Harry cheered. "What did she have to say, tell me everything!" he said as they began to walk back to the castle.

"I will… but, is Ron here?" she asked looking around.

"He coming; he may already be in Hogsmeade. He was going to try and surprise Hermione on her walk down," Harry explained.

"What's up with him?" Ginny asked as they walked.

Harry sighed. "From what I can get, he's upset because Hermione didn't tell him about Draco coming on to her. And he was upset by that article in the paper, but other than that I'm not sure. He's taking it too personally," he muttered.

"Typical," Ginny scoffed. "Hermione will be glad to see him, though; she's been so upset that he hasn't written her back."

"He hasn't written her back at all?" Harry asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Not once," Ginny confirmed.

"Huh. Well, let's wait to meet up with them, then. Maybe they need to talk or something. Tell me more about Jones and what she had to say," Harry pressed as they strode into the castle and headed to the common room.

Meanwhile, Ron had wandered the streets of Hogsmeade searching for Hermione with no luck. He began to wonder if perhaps she had decided not to come today; but she mentioned in her last letter wanting to go to Honeydukes and the quill shop, so he kept searching. He finally decided to go inside the Three Broomsticks and have a drink while he waited. He wandered to the bar, paid Rosmerta five knuts for a butterbeer, and sat himself down at a table near the window to watch the passersby, hoping he would catch Hermione's long mane of hair as she wandered past.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing here, Weasley?" a snide voice suddenly asked.

Ron turned over his shoulder to see the tall, lanky, pale-faced figure of Draco Malfoy eyeing him furiously. Ron glared back defiantly. "Didn't realize they let Death Eaters in the bar now, should have checked before I sat down," he muttered, turning his back on Malfoy.

"What are you doing here?" Draco asked again, crossing all boundaries and moving to sit in the chair across from Ron, whose eyes widened curiously. "Shouldn't you be keeping shop?"

"I think George can manage for one day," he muttered coolly. "I came to visit Hermione."

"She's not here."

"Still observant as ever, aren't you?"

"She's meeting me, though. In about, oh, I'd say… five minutes," Draco said, idly examining his watch.

"Right," Ron laughed, though his chest began to constrict tightly.

"We talked the other day. She said you hadn't written her back at all since start of term. She was rather upset about it, so I offered to meet her here for a drink, and give her some comfort," Draco replied with a grin.

"Bollocks," Ron spat. "The only comfort you could give her would be to leave her alone."

"I think she rather enjoys my company."

"Every letter she mentions you pestering her and following her around. She says it drives her mad."

Draco's face reddened slightly. "I don't know what she sees in you, Weasley."

"Apparently there's something, since she keeps writing me," Ron replied.

"She hasn't given me a chance; she's to stuck on your sorry arse to see that there are so many better options than you, and your poor family," Draco spat watching Ron's face turn a bright red. "Besides that, how long will it be before you get pissed about something and run off on her again? Once a traitor, always a traitor."

"I think that title belongs to you," Ron hissed.

"And how so, did I abandon my friends? Did I-"

"We saved your life, you stupid bastard!" Ron hissed, slamming his fist down on the table. "We should have let you die in that fire, but Harry chose to come back and help you. Accepting help from the enemy, I'm sure the Death Eater's would have been pleased about that."

"By that point, I'd already seen I was on the wrong side! You claim to never have switched sides, but you left her out there alone, with Potter, freezing in the cold, so you could run back home for a bit," Draco shot back. "Since I came to my senses, I've done nothing but try to be supportive of her. You're always fighting with her, and letting your temper get the better of you. It's all about control, Weasley, and that's something that you obviously lack. She definitely deserves someone who can keep control of themselves for a longer period of time than I'm sure you can."

Ron stood up and moved to tower over Draco, who sat smirking in his chair. "I don't think my control is the issue. I think the issue is this sudden fascination you have with my girlfriend. What is it, huh? What are you playing at?"

"So you're openly telling me you don't see Hermione's appeal?"

"Oh, I see it, long before you ever did; you spent years insulting her and treating her like dirt. I think this is just a play; I think the only reason you want her is to make yourself look good. '_Oh, the Malfoys have reformed so much, he's even dating a Muggle-born now_,'" Ron mocked. "I don't think you give a damn about her, and I also think you should stay the hell away from her."

"Can't stand a little competition, Weasley? Or, wait, have you had too much in your life? All those big brothers looking down on you? You're nothing, sixth out of seven worthless children to a family of losers. Hermione is going to see sense, and when she-"

"Shut up about my family! And leave Hermione alone!" Ron shouted, causing several patrons to turn and look in their direction. He took a step closer to Draco, who sat smirking and unruffled as he approached.

Outside, snow had begun to fall lightly, and Hermione was walking quickly down the main street of Hogsmeade. She had gotten her quill, a package of Chocolate Frogs to send to Ron, and was now headed back to the castle. As she walked, her thoughts reluctantly turned to Draco and she rolled her eyes. He had spent ten minutes harassing her while she purchased her items at Honeydukes, insisting that she should just save the treats for herself instead of sending them to Ron, who wouldn't appreciate them.

"That's not true," she muttered to herself. "He'll appreciate it…he's just been busy. He's probably…" she trailed off, her monologue ceasing as she walked past The Three Broomsticks. She had glanced at the building for only a second, but it was long enough to cause her to stop in her tracks. Inside the front window sat Draco, grinning broadly at a tall, red-headed figure that stood over him. The figure was shouting at Draco, who sat completely relaxed on the barstool in front of him.

"Oh no," she muttered, racing across the street and through the door to the bar.

"See! Here she is, right on time," Draco muttered at her appearance, giving her a wink and a smile. "Hermione, maybe you can help sort Wealsey out."

"Ron, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked walking over to him, unable to keep the smile off her face at his appearance, though one look at his face told her she had no reason to be smiling.

"Apparently, I'm showing up in time to find out you're meeting up with this prat," Ron spat at her, pointing a finger in Draco's direction.

"What? I'm not meeting with anyone! I came to get a new quill, and I picked up some chocolate frogs to send to you. I was just walking down the-"she started to say, but Draco interrupted her.

"Of course you're going to say that, but I think that it's time we just be honest, right Hermione?"

"What?" she asked, looking between the two of them with a confused glance. "I didn't…" she trailed off as suddenly, the realization of what Draco was trying to do hit her like a bludger. "You foul, sneaky, malicious little liar! Ron, whatever he said is a lie! He saw me ten minutes ago in Honeydukes; he was harassing me, again. He must have walked by, saw you, and decided to come in to just start trouble!"

"Right, that's how he knows I haven't written you back in a few weeks," Ron spat, as he started to shake with anger. "That's why he knows all about when I ran out on you and Harry. What? I miss a few letters, and suddenly you run off to someone else?"

"NO!" Hermione shouted. "No, that's not true. He knows about the letters because he eavesdrops on my conversations in class, and he knows about you leaving us from the stupid _Prophet_. Ron, this is absurd! You know-"

"Weasley, it's probably best if you just take off. You know I'm the better man for her, the sooner you leave the sooner she can-"

"You shut up!" Hermione screamed at Draco. "Better man? You're a lying coward!"

"I know it's hard to come out with it while he's standing right here, but you're just going to have to be honest, Hermione. It's going to take you some time, but you'll realize you're better off without this poor looser," Draco muttered in a soothing voice. He reached out and grabbed Hermione's hand, smirking as Ron gave him a furious look.

Hermione wrenched her hand away, but not before Ron had reached across the table and grasped Draco by the shirt.

"Don't touch her!" he growled menacingly.

"I'll touch her if she wants me to!" Draco replied.

"I don't think she wanted-"

"She didn't mind it; she didn't slap me again."

"That's because I didn't give her a chance!"

Hermione stood between the two men, watching as they glared and argued back and forth, insulting each other. "Ron… RON!" Hermione finally shouted, putting her hands against his chest and gently pushing him a way. "He's not worth it, he's just trying to get you wound up, and he's-"

"It's easy to get Weasley round up!" Draco yelled over Hermione's voice. The patrons in the bar were watching them curiously. "Took off on you once, didn't he? You should just leave her again, she's better off without you!" he spat at Ron.

"Shut up!" Ron yelled. He stepped around Hermione and grabbed Draco's shirt, but Hermione grasped his hands.

"Ron! He's not worth it, he's just-"

"Let's have a go, right here!" Draco said. "See if your man enough to-"

"I'm fine with that!" Ron shouted.

"No, this is not-" Hermione sputtered, trying to interrupt them.

"None of your little friends around to help you out, Draco, you sure you want to do that?" Ron sneered.

"At least I've got friends and I'm not just someone's sidekick!" Draco responded.

"SHUT UP!" Hermione screeched. The glass Draco was holding shattered to pieces, along with the bottle of butterbeer that Ron had left on the table. Draco cursed as the glass cut into his hand, and Ron jumped back to avoid the splatter of liquid.

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. It had been years since she had lost control and caused something to happen inadvertently. She glared at Ron and Draco; furious that they were even having this conversation, furious that she was in the middle when there wasn't even anything to discuss. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the bar.

Ron followed her, leaving Draco to clean up the mess of blood and alcohol on the floor. He had to run to catch up with her; when he finally did, she sped up to avoid him.

"Wait! Hermione, what _was_ going on? I need to know," Ron asked.

"He showed up, and was trying to rile you up, that's what was going on! And it worked! You can't control your temper, and you let him get the better of you over something so-"

"Control _my_ temper?" Ron asked incredulously. "I'm not making glasses shatter."

Hermione rounded on him, her eyes full of vindictive fury. "I'm shattering glasses because I'm furious! Why did you let him get to you?"

"Why didn't you tell me about him asking you to break it off with me?" Ron screamed, returning her expression. "Before break, he asked you to leave me. And you didn't say a word about it. Why?"

"I forgot! I honestly forgot. It wasn't anything! He asked me to go out with him sometime, I told him he was mental; I told him I didn't believe he had changed, and I wasn't interested in any way, shape, or form. That was it! I meant to tell you, I just forgot!" she replied, raising her voice.

"That's a pretty big thing to forget," Ron challenged. "Were you just biding your time? Waiting to see how Christmas would go, and then take him up on it when you got back?"

"That's insane!" Hermione shouted. "I wouldn't… Ron, after everything he did to us, what makes you think I'd even consider that?"

"You didn't consider telling me, which is pretty odd. Why wouldn't you consider him?"

"Because he's evil, and manipulative, and a horrid, horrid person! This whole thing today proves it! He saw you, and he's just trying to cause trouble," Hermione said, her voice cracking. "I can't believe you're even asking me this! You think I honesty would was going to meet up with that foul, lying little prick?"

"It's a pretty odd coincidence that he showed up five minutes before you did, telling me you said you'd meet up with him," Ron muttered angrily.

"He's lying! The only reason he knew I'd probably be walking by there was he'd just seen me in Honeydukes. He's practically behind me every single step I take anymore! It's driving me mad!"

"I'm supposed to believe you? When you didn't tell me about any of this in any of your letters? Why didn't you tell me about this over break? Why didn't you tell me? Because you don't trust me? Do you think I'm a traitor, like everyone else?" Ron spat at her.

Anger flushed through Hermione's veins. "I didn't tell you because I forgot! And because I didn't mention it in the letters because I didn't want this! This is how you react! This is how-"

"Right, my control! I can't control my temper," Ron shouted.

"Ron, this is ridiculous. I never said I'd meet up with Draco; that is insane. You know -"

"How do I know, huh? How do I know that?"

"You should! I've only been telling you since last May that all I want is you! That hasn't changed, I'd have thought that you'd figured that out by now," Hermione shot back.

"Figured what out? All I've figured out is everyone thinks I'm a lying traitor from a poor family! All I've figured out is that everyone goes behind my back about things! All-"

"That's all you can believe!" Hermione screeched, her temper finally taking over. "You don't see yourself clearly! And I refuse to let you blame this on me!"

"It is your fault! You should have-"

"I should have told you! And I'm sorry," she conceded. "But I'm not going to take the blame for your insecurities! And I won't let you blame _me_ for Draco Malfoy being a liar! I can't control what he does, or how he acts, nor would I want to! You should know that everything he said was just to wind you up, that's what he does! I think the real issue here is you don't trust me! I think you're too wrapped up in yourself, and what everyone thinks of you, to even notice what you're doing to me!" she shouted at Ron, who's face remained angry but his posture lost some of its defensiveness.

Ron cleared his throat. "I do trust you, I just don't-"

"Then what's the problem? If I say I wasn't meeting him, why don't you believe me?"

"I just don't understand how you could want me, when you don't tell me what's going on. Everyone thinks I'm a loser and a traitor, and I don't-"

"No one who matters thinks that, Ron! And even if they did, I don't care! I've told you that time and time again. You told me life would be easy for me, because people _pity_ me for being a Muggle-born, where they don't understand you. If everything is equal, what does it matter?" she asked in an exasperated voice.

"It matters because I have to hear it! I have to listen to people like Malfoy-"

"Get over it, Ron! He's a lying prat! I don't…this is ridiculous. This is just ridiculous, you're so defensive over nothing," she said, shaking her head angrily. She was temporarily lost for words as she glared at Ron. Hermione could see anger radiating out from him, but she was angry and hurt that he was shouting at her about a crime she hadn't committed. He was mad at her for nothing, when she should be furious with him for not responding to her letters, for not considering her feelings, and for not believing her when she was telling the truth.

After several moments, when Ron didn't respond, Hermione let out a resigned sigh. "I'm not going to stand here, and freeze myself to death, trying to assuage this ridiculous confidence crisis you're having! I don't know what's been going on with you, because you won't talk to me! You haven't written me back since I left London, and now you show up, out of nowhere, get into a fight with that idiot, and start shouting at me about what everyone thinks of you!" she shouted angrily.

Ron watched as Hermione reached into her bag, and pulled out a box of chocolate frogs and a card. "Here, take this. It'll save Pigwidgeon a trip," she muttered to him before turning on her heel and walking toward the castle.

Ron watched her take a few steps, the erroneous judgment he had made suddenly crashing down on him. "Wait, where are you going?" he asked, running after her.

"Back to the castle, I'm cold," she replied harshly, continuing to walk back toward Hogwarts.

"Wait, I'll come with you, we'll talk," he called. "Hermione, I'm sorry. He just-"

"No, Ron, it's not just Draco. Ever since that trial, you've been all huffy and moody, and I don't know why. Is it because Umbridge called your family traitors? Is it because of that article? Because none of your other family is bothered by it, why are you?"

Ron fell silent as he walked in her wake. "I don't know, I just...between that and always being overshadowed-"

"You're not overshadowed, you only think you are. I'm tired of telling you that. You've got to figure it out for yourself, before you can ever really care for me… or for anyone else," she said quietly.

"I don't want to care about anyone else, Hermione!" he said, as he ran to walk beside her. "I only-"

"You can't care for _me_ until you care about _yourself_! Until you lower the wall you've got surrounding you, you're not going to let anyone in. When you've managed to figure out that I want you for who you are, come find me. When you've figured out that you don't have to be anyone, or anything, but Ron Weasley, come find me; and then maybe we'll talk about really being in love," she said quietly, her voice cracking.

Ron stopped, gripped by panic over her retreating figure. "Hermione, please don't walk away from me," he said quietly.

"Why not? You've done it to me loads of times in your fits of anger," she said, with a small laugh. "I can't…I just can't talk about this now. I'm upset because you don't believe me, and I'm upset because you can't seem to figure out that I want you and no one else. I'm tired of trying to convince you; convince yourself for once."

And with that, she walked up the hill and out of sight, leaving Ron standing at the edge of Hogsmeade, lost in his own thoughts.

Hot tears began to flow down Hermione's cheeks as she walked. She felt furious: furious at Draco for his lies, and his inability to leave her alone; furious at Ron for his lack of confidence, and his inability to just accept that she loved him for being himself. But sadness raced through her as well; sadness over the fact that he didn't believe her, and sadness over the fact that she had wanted to see him so badly, and this is how it happened. And now she was headed back to her room, to be alone, again.

She got to the common room and threw open the door only to find it empty accept for Harry and Ginny, who were kissing fiercely. They broke apart as soon as she walked in.

"Hermione!" Ginny screeched. "I'm so sorry, we were just about to come find you guys and we got-"

She sighed heavily, immediately turning back around to head to the common room. "Ron's gone back, I'm guessing. I'll leave you two be," she muttered, walking toward her room.

Ginny ran up the stairs behind her, following her inside her dormitory. "What do you mean 'Ron's gone home?'"

"I mean 'he's gone home'. We had a row, and he's gone home, I'm guessing. Can I go? I can't deal with you two snogging right now," she said glancing between Ginny and Harry.

"No, I'll go home," Harry said, in an embarrassed tone. "What happened? We were coming to surprise you both; I'm really confused."

"Draco surprised him first," Hermione said. "He lied and told Ron I was meeting him at the Three Broomsticks, Ron was furious. He didn't believe me, and we fought, and I left him there."

Harry sighed; he glanced at Ginny who looked angry. "I'll talk to him."

"Whatever," Hermione replied listlessly. She pulled away from Ginny's arms and lay down on her bed. "Shut the door behind you, please."

Ginny looked up at Harry with sad eyes; he motioned for them both to leave the room. They walked into the hallway and down to the common room.

"What is he thinking? How could he even think that she'd do something like that to him?" Harry asked.

"Ron's always been too insecure," Ginny said sadly. "I think it was George and Fred teasing him so much, he just takes things so hard."

"I'm sorry, I wanted to see you more," Harry said. "But I should go talk to him."

"I'll see you soon," Ginny replied kissing him. "I'm going to go back and try to talk to Hermione. Will you write?"

"I always do," Harry said as he hugged her close. He kissed her again, and descended the stairs to head back to Grimmauld Place and find out what his best friend was thinking.

* * *

A/N: My apologies for not getting this up sooner, I'm in a journalism class right now and it's eating up too much of my time! But I will have the next chapter up this weekend! Your reviews keep me going, thank you so much. And thank you to my awesome and wonderfully supportive Beta Sierra!


	25. Lovespell

Chapter 25 - Lovespell

"Whatever it takes" Lifehouse

* * *

Two weeks passed - two weeks in which Hermione found herself in tears a majority of the time over Ron's accusations and her response. She hadn't heard from, or written to him since their row in Hogsmeade, and she felt terrible about walking away from him and leaving things so unfinished. She'd talked to Ginny about it, but Ginny kept assuring her she had done the right thing.

"He was being an idiot, Hermione," she had said. "Just wait it out, he'll come to his senses."

"But don't you think I should approach him? I mean, I don't want to break it off, not in the slightest. I just want him to…to…" she stuttered, looking for the right word.

"Get his head on straight," Ginny filled in. "You're right, he needs to grow up. He's got to get over this ridiculous feeling that he's second best. He'll come around, Hermione; I know he will."

Aside from the guilt and the worry she felt from having no contact with Ron, Draco Malfoy's exuberant mood was driving her mad. He had managed to memorize her schedule, and was constantly badgering her at every chance he got.

"Hermione, it was only a matter of time. Look how angry he got at you when you didn't even do anything. He just assumed you were going to. He doesn't trust you, but the fact of the matter is you're better than him, and he knows it! You don't want someone who's going-"

"He only got that angry because you lied to him!" she screeched as she walked away from him. "You claimed you wanted to be friends. Friends don't sabotage relationships!"

"They do if it's for the other person's own good," Draco replied.

"Oh," Hermione groaned. "That's such a Slytherin thing to say! You'll do anything to get what you want. Get over it, Draco! I don't want anything to do with you, just-"

But Draco backed her against the wall, placing his hands on either side of her head so she couldn't escape. "Hermione, sooner or later, you _will_ realize I'm a better choice. You've just got to give it a chance," he had muttered, moving his face unnaturally close to hers.

"Everything all right here?" muttered a voice. Hermione held her breath and looked over to see Professor Lansing standing outside his class room giving them an odd look. Draco backed away slowly, and Hermione turned and stepped away from him, her eyes wide with shock.

"Fine, Professor," Draco replied with a smile. He glanced at Hermione and she took off running in the other direction.

"He's starting to scare me," Hermione told Ginny later that evening. "He's dead set on this theory he has that suddenly I'll think he's a great guy and I'll be all over him, or something. He cornered me today, and backed me against a wall; if Lansing hadn't come around the corner, I think he would have tried to kiss me," she said with a shudder.

"That is creepy; don't go anywhere by yourself anymore. If you can't find me, wait, or drag Parvarti or Lavender with you. Hell, drag anyone with you," Ginny said, glancing over at the Slytherin table where Malfoy sat watching the pair of them. "Have you noticed he always eats alone now?"

"I have," Hermione said darkly. "It's just so strange, I still don't understand it. The infatuation was one thing, but this is borderline obsession," she whispered as Ginny nodded.

Harry had stayed away from flat out telling Ron to apologize to Hermione; he knew Ron was sorry, but couldn't admit to himself that his confidence was a major player in all their arguments. A majority of their time was spent in conversations about the same topic Ginny and Hermione had been discussing, neither of them coming up with an explanation either.

"It's not that I don't understand him fancying her," Harry said. "It's just odd, because he hated her for so long, and even stranger since I know for a fact his parents are still holding to their Pure-blood ideals, but it's not like she's undesirable," he explained weakly.

"I'm such a prat; I don't deserve her," was all Ron could say. Harry had tried to convince him that this wasn't true, but he wasn't having it. He was convinced he'd finally done it and drove Hermione away from him.

The Friday before Ron's nineteenth birthday arrived. He woke up depressed, same as he had every other morning since he and Hermione had their row. He had taken to lying in bed and examining the string around his finger, which still showed no sign of wear. He kept waiting for it to fall off, signaling the end of her commitment to him, but it stayed solid. Though this should have made him feel better, it almost made him feel worse; she was still committed to him even though he couldn't realize his own self worth.

Tired of wallowing in his own self pity, he proceeded downstairs to find a small note on the table. Harry had not gone into the office; instead, he had gone with Tim to investigate another poisoning. This time it was right outside the city limits. Ron frowned as he read the note; Harry's discussion of the past events had let him know they had no suspects, nor any leads. The poisonings were disturbing Harry greatly, Ron had noticed deep shadows under his eyes the last time they had talked about it in-depth.

Deciding he didn't want to linger around the empty house, Ron decided to take a walk. He had grabbed his cloak and stepped outside when, suddenly, he heard a voice calling his name from down the street. He turned to see Harry walking toward him, waving wildly.

"Didn't expect you to be back so soon," Ron said turning toward him. "I got your message, did you find anything?"

"No, nothing. But Kingsley sent me to set up an alarm on the water supply for this side of town and by Ottery St. Catchpole. Tim is going over to Surrey, Berkshire and Kent. We're going to set up a Caterwauling Charm on all the supplies," Harry explained.

"A what?"

"Remember when we Apparated to Hogsmeade, and that scream alerted the Death Eaters? We're going to set up one of those to sound an alarm at the Ministry office so we can Apparate directly to the place and hopefully catch them in the act."

"Good call," Ron said in an approving voice. "Good luck with that. I was just heading off for a walk, so-"

"Come with me," Harry suggested, interrupting Ron's train of thought.

"What?"

"Come with me, I'd like some help," he said again. "Or were you planning on something else?"

Ron considered for a moment, he hadn't planned on doing anything but walking. Perhaps this would help take his mind of his lingering depression. "All right, let's go then," he said finally, a small smile crossing his face.

Harry told Ron to Apparate next to the water treatment system in to Raynes Park. After Ron emerged from the crushing darkness, he and Harry walked toward the water treatment facility. Ron watched as Harry waved his wand and muttered a complex incantation, feeling slightly inadequate as he observed. When the spell was finished, a misty haze floated lightly above the closest access to the water supply before fading away.

"Whoever crosses that boundary to get to the water will set off the alarm," Harry explained, looking a little smug at over his abilities. "Hopefully that will give us enough time to get here and catch them."

"Won't the screaming tip them off?" Ron asked, remembering their alarm when they heard the noise as they Apparated into Hogsmeade less than a year ago.

"It's not set up to sound here, the person won't even know. But we'll hear an alarm at the Ministry," Harry explained. "Let's go, maybe we can stop by the Burrow before we come back."

Ron nodded, watching Harry disappear in a swirl of robes before turning on the spot into the darkness. He emerged right next to the Otter River and the Catchpole Water Treatment plant. He looked around for Harry, finally locating him and proceeding into the facility gates. Once inside, Ron wandered around looking at the brick walls and signs posted around where they stood. The depression he felt earlier was beginning to sink in on him again; Harry was much more advanced in his spell casting ability and defensive knowledge than Ron was. They'd always been pretty even on that level, but now Ron felt behind, and began to berate himself for not taking the opportunity to join the Auror office earlier.

"Ron," Harry called from a distance way. "Come over here; take a look at this with me." Ron followed the sound of Harry's voice to find him examining something that had been thrown over the edge of the brick wall that separated the facility from the river itself.

"What is that?" Ron asked curiously.

"I don't know," Harry muttered. He was staring over the brick wall at a silver canister on the ground. It lay on its side; a thick black paste seemed to be leaking from the opening. Ron looked at Harry who indicated they should hop over the wall to check it out.

When they landed, Harry knelt down next to the canister and prodded the substance with his wand. Ron had bent down to examine the substance as well, when he saw Harry reach for the paste coated canister.

"I wouldn't touch it," he warned. Harry glanced at him curiously, but Ron nodded toward the patch of grass where the paste had spilled. It was dying, shriveling up and there was a faint sizzling sound that they hadn't been able to hear before.

Harry nodded, and observed the paste curiously. It was thick and reminded him of toothpaste. "I don't think I want that on my skin. What the hell is this?" he asked curiously. He conjured a flask and used his wand to lift some of the black paste inside for sampling.

"You think it's the poison they've been using?" Ron asked.

"Maybe; But, whatever they've been using would have to be diluted in water. This doesn't look like it would dilute very easily," Harry said shaking the flask.

"Maybe it depends on the amount of water you mix it with," said Ron, standing up. Harry nodded before pulling his knapsack off his back, and beginning to dig through it. Ron stared into the water, looking for traces of the black substance. He had taken a step toward it when he heard a faint "pop" echo from above them.

His senses seemed to kick into high gear; clicking his fingers, he caught Harry's attention and motioned for them to hide behind a building just to their left. Harry dropped the canister back onto the ground and followed Ron behind the building. As soon as they were behind the structure, Harry pulled out his invisibility cloak and threw it over the two of them.

They watched, both of them holding their breath, as Ivan Travers and someone else they didn't recognize peered over the brick wall. Travers hopped down, followed by his companion and he picked up the canister, scooping the black paste back inside it with his wand.

"We have to get out of here; someone Apparated and they're around here, probably watching us," his companion was saying in a panicked voice.

"Shut up, Jugson, we've got to get this done," Travers hissed. He peered over the edge of the water, shaking the canister that held the black paste. "We're trying to keep the Aurors distracted so the Dark One can assume power."

Harry glanced at Ron under the cloak; his expression was hard as he glared at the two men. Harry motioned for him to take out his wand.

"Well, it didn't work the last time! Not only did they manage to save a majority of the Muggles, they figured out the poison ingredients almost immediately! I'm telling you, Amycus and Alecto don't know anything about poisons. This whole plan is insane! I say, since we're still inside the ministry, we just go for a straight attack. I don't-"

"We are following the orders of the Dark Lord's heir," Travers said, unscrewing the lid to the canister.

"Heir," the other man huffed. "If you ask me, I think that's a bloody lie."

Travers stepped closer to the water. "She's proven herself to me, and I want the mudbloods and the blood traitors dead; even if the Dark Lord is gone, I'm willing to continue the plans with her in the lead." He had reached the water's edge, and was peering into it, a quizzical look on his face.

Harry and Ron raised their wands at the same time; they both glanced at each other before shouting _"Stupefy_!"

Red streaks of light flew past Travers, but hit his companion square in the chest. Travers whipped out his wand and backed away from the edge of the water, his head turning furiously to try and figure out where the spells had come from. Harry took aim, again, and tried to stun him; but Travers had cast a shield charm wordlessly and the spell rebounded, causing him and Ron to duck to avoid the spell. As both of them stood, the cloak slipped and revealed their position. Travers swore loudly and raised his wand, Harry and Ron both mimicking the motion.

"Give it up, Travers," Harry said as they walked forward. Ron moved toward where the other man lay, quickly casting a spell to bind his hands and feet before raising his wand and training it on Travers again. "Two against one isn't very good odds, and we heard everything."

"If only things were that simple, Potter," the Death Eater hissed. "I still owe you for that Imperious Curse, by the way. I didn't think you had it in you." Harry glared, unafraid, as Ron moved beside him. Travers sneered and stepped back toward the water's edge and, to Harry and Ron's shock, dropped the open canister.

"NO!" Harry shouted. He threw himself forward to try and catch the bottle as it fell. He caught the edge of the canister, some of the black paste spilling on to his skin and burning terribly. But he managed to throw it to the side away from the water before any of the substance could make contact. As he wiped furiously at the paste that was burning his skin, he glanced up to see Travers turn on the spot.

"_DESINO APPAREO_!"

Harry looked over his shoulder to see Ron raising his wand high in the sky, shouting an unknown spell. Travers continued to spin in a circle, but did not vanish. Realizing what had been done, the Death Eater took aim at Ron, firing a stunning spell before taking off in a sprint toward the front gate of the facility.

"RON!" Harry shouted as he watched Ron's figure dodge the spell, and take off after Travers in a hard run.

Ron willed his legs to move faster as he followed in Travers' wake. He knew once the Death Eater was outside the gates, he would be able to Apparate and they would not have a chance to catch him. He drew closer and, knowing he had only moments, leapt forward and rugby tackled the man, both of them falling to the ground. Ron's wand flew out of his hand, but he kept hold of Travers who kicked at him furiously. Ron braced himself and held tight to Travers' legs, scrabbling for his wand with one hand. His fingers closed around it just as he heard Travers scream "_PROPELLO!_"

Ron reacted instinctively. "_PROTEGO_!" The spell hit the shield and threw the two men apart. Travers moved to stand, but Ron, from his position on the ground, raised his wand and shouted "_EXPELLIARMUS_!"

Travers' wand flew high into the air away from where he stood. He growled and ran toward where Ron lay, meaning to attack him, but suddenly slowed and held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

Ron looked up to see Harry standing next to him, his wand pointed at the Death Eater. Ron raised himself from the ground, brushing off the dirt from his jeans and watching Harry move forward. Harry waved his wand and bound Travers' hands together before turning back toward where Ron stood.

"Brilliant! Bloody brilliant!" Harry shouted. "You know how to do that?"

"What?" Ron asked trying to catch his breath.

"The Anti-Disapparation Jinx," Harry said. "I haven't learned that yet, didn't even think about it."

Ron shrugged. "George taught me the first week at the shop, said I needed to know it in case we ever had a shoplifter."

Harry laughed loudly. "Brilliant!"

Ron nodded, his own breathing beginning to slow. "Did you catch that flask?" he asked.

Harry nodded. "It's back over there by my bag. I'm going to take it, and these two, back to the office," Harry said as he prodded Travers forward with his wand. "Will you come?"

Ron sighed; he could still feel himself shaking. "Later, I'm going to go see my mum first," he replied, thinking of his family so close by.

"Send your blood-traitor family my regards," Travers muttered with a smirk.

Ron glared, but Harry just shook his head and pushed the man forward. "Really, well done mate; I'm going to tell Kingsley and Lansing about how much you helped. You should stop in," Harry said in an encouraging voice.

"I will, I just…I just want to talk to my parents first," Ron replied.

Harry nodded and moved outside the facility with Travers in tow. Ron watched as Harry grasped Travers firmly by the shoulder and gripped the other mans arm before Disapparating with a loud crack. Ron sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair before waving his wand to remove the jinx, and turning on the spot to Apparate outside the Burrow's gate.

Ron walked down the path, his mind racing with thoughts. As he approached, he noticed that there was no activity inside the house. "Mum?" he called when he entered through the front door. "Mom?" No voice called back; he waived is wand muttering "_homenum revelio_" thinking with a pang of longing of Hermione doing the same thing at Grimmauld Place so long ago. Once the spell had proven no one was in the house, Ron proceeded up the steps to his bedroom.

Inside, he lay down on his bed and stared around at the orange walls. The room felt slightly comforting to him as he tried to marshal his thoughts; he had done well, Harry wouldn't have captured the Death Eater had he not been with him. But still, he'd ended up on the ground and Harry eventually had to save him. He wanted to go down to the office to see what they had to offer him now, but at the same time was still struggling with his own thoughts. The spells he'd seen Harry use in the past few months were beyond anything he was experienced with, and they seemed to come so easily to him, where as nothing seemed to come easily to Ron.

"_When you've figured out that you don't have to be anyone or anything but Ron Weasley, come find me and maybe we'll talk about really being in love…"_

Ron groaned loudly as Hermione's parting words echoed in his head. He stood and kicked a book across the floor, realizing with a bitter laugh it was "_12 Fail Safe Ways to Charm Witche_s". Ron then happened to look at his pillow and saw one of Hermione's night shirts folded up on his pillow. He picked it up and examined it, sighing heavily and thinking of the last time he was in this room. Hermione had been with him, sleeping next to him, her warm body was soothing and her curly hair tickled his nose as they slept. As though the room could sense his longing, he happened to find a strand of her hair tangled around a button on the shirt. He twirled it around his finger, remembering the soft feeling flowing over his hands as he ran them through her hair.

His own foolishness began to crash down upon him. He'd been so immature, so selfish; he'd spent so much time worrying about what everyone else thought of him, that he failed to see that the one person who really mattered wouldn't have loved him if he was anyone else. But why? He was nothing! Harry Potter's sidekick, partner to George Weasley's business, sixth son, hand-me-down clothes, used books, nothing ever new to his name…_second best, always, eternally overshadowed_…

In the midst of his rampant, self-depreciating thoughts, he heard a quiet thud as the front door to the Burrow shut. He descended the steps slowly. "Mom?"

"Ron?" his mother said as she saw him walking down the stairs. "Well, this is a surprise. What are you doing here?"

"I was in the area…I..." Ron replied quietly, watching as his mother picked up a glass and moved toward the sink. "Hey! Don't drink the water from the tap," he said, moving across the kitchen and turning off the faucet.

"What?" his mother asked curiously. "Why not?"

Ron sat her down at the table and explained what had happened earlier, how he came to be in the area, and why she shouldn't drink the water.

"Merlin's Beard, Ron! Well, it's a good thing you were with Harry. He could have been hurt or something worse if you hadn't been there," she said after he had finished his tale.

"Right. So, do you promise to not drink the tap water? Use a charm, or buy bottled water from the Muggle grocery store, please?" he asked.

"Yes, of course we will. But, what about you? Shouldn't you boys be doing the same thing?" she asked.

"We'll start, until this is over with at least," he replied.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Are you going to go down to the office? You ought to let Harry at least thank you again for helping out. I'm sure Kingsley and Gideon will be impressed as well," she encouraged.

"Yeah…I suppose, I don't know. Everything comes so easy for him. It was just dumb luck for me today, I can't do all that. I just…I'm not…I don't know," he said, sighing and laying his head down on the table.

Mrs. Weasley sighed again, and moved her hand to rub her youngest son's neck. "Ron, out of all my children, you have always been the most sensitive, and I'm not sure why," she mused.

"Gee…thanks, mum."

"Why is being sensitive a bad thing? I've always thought it's your most endearing characteristic. You care for people, you worry about their well-being, and you're loyal. There's nothing wrong with being sensitive. I'm sure that's one of the reasons Hermione loves you so much," she said.

Ron sighed, a guilt tugging at his insides at the mention of Hermione. "There is when I don't believe I can do anything right," he said.

"Why do you think that?" she asked curiously.

Ron shrugged. "I don't know. Bill's a curse-breaker; that takes talent. Charlie risks his life working with Dragons, that's brave. Percy, even if he did run out on us, he's always ambitious and he's got that Ministry job. Fred and George started the shop and it's brilliant. Ginny's being checked out by Quidditch teams, and…then there's me…" he finished with a sigh.

"And you've done your fare share of life risking, curse breaking, ambitious, brilliant and talented things as well, dear," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Like what?"

"Like what? Where would you like me to start?" she asked with a light laugh. "You've been through more with Harry and Hermione than any of the others have. They're always talking about how you're so much braver than they could ever hope to be."

Ron lifted his head. "Really?"

"Yes, of course. Your father and I talk about it all the time as well. Ron, I know sometimes you feel over shadowed, but you are your own person. And I'm very proud of you for who you are," she said patting his shoulder.

"You always said Ginny was your favorite," he muttered.

"I always said Ginny was my favorite _girl,_ seeing as I have only one. But, of course I don't have a favorite out of any of you," she said lightly. "I'm proud of you all for everything you do! Each one of you is unique to both your father and I, there isn't any comparison between you all."

Ron nodded. "Thanks mum. I needed to hear that."

Mrs. Weasley leant forward and hugged Ron tightly. "Is something wrong dear? You seem very upset," she asked in a concerned tone. "How's Hermione?"

Ron sighed. "Hermione would be better if I hadn't acted like an idiot two weeks ago," he admitted.

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Well, apologize and make it up to her, that's all you can do now," she said with a smile. "Your ring is still on, so I don't think it will take much."

Ron nodded, and for the first time in his life he felt confident. He knew he needed to apologize, but he no longer felt that he was second best. He felt…free, like his own man. "Thanks mum. I'm going to go meet up with Harry, and then go to Hogwarts." With that he stood and headed toward the door. His mother waved to him from the window as he wandered to the end of the lane and Apparated back to London.

* * *

"Jugson, if you talk we'll go lenient on you," Lansing said with an exasperated sigh. "We already know from Harry over hearing you and Travers talking that the Carrows are involved somehow. Who is this heir, and what are the plans you were speaking about?"

The wizard named Jugson was bound to a chair in the office; Lansing, Kingsley and Harry all stood around him waiting for a response. "I'm not saying anything; I'm going to Azkaban anyway, if I talk she'll kill me," he said in a shaky voice.

"Who will kill you? Alecto?" Kingsley asked, but Jugson just shook his head.

Proudfoot stepped in the door and moved over to where Lansing was. "I can't get anything out of Travers, he's refusing to talk; what about this one?"

"Nothing," Kingsley said with a sigh. "Take them to Azkaban. Once we examine whatever is in this canister we should be able to get somewhere."

Proudfoot grabbed Jugson by the arm and hauled him toward the entrance to the office. Harry watched him go, sighing heavily. "We've got to figure this out, it's getting serious. I think they have a whole string of plans, and this heir talk is really bothering me."

"I agree, Harry. It's disturbing to say the least," Lansing replied.

Harry watched as Kingsley nodded slowly, his eyes fixed upon the empty chair where Jugson had sat. Lansing moved toward where Harry stood, reaching for the canister that held the black paste that he was holding. He opened it and sniffed, grimacing slightly at the odor.

"It's definitely some type of poison, but why it's so thick and what's in it I have no idea," he said shaking his head. "Harry, let's get to work on this and we'll see what we can figure out about it."

Harry nodded and began to withdraw his cauldron from his desk. They had just lit a fire and poured the substance in when suddenly Ron burst through the office door.

"Harry, can we-" he was saying, but stopped as soon as he realized there were others in the office. "Oh, sorry…I'll just talk with you at home then," he muttered beginning to retreat, but Lansing smiled and stopped him.

"Ron, nice work with that Anti-Disapparation Jinx," he said. "Harry told us about it; you helped catch two wanted men, and helped stop what I'm guessing would have been another mass poisoning. Thank you."

"Oh, well … I didn't really…I was just trying to help," Ron stuttered with a small smile.

"How're your parents? I haven't had a chance to talk with them in a few weeks," Lansing said as he motioned for Ron to follow him out the door and into the Atrium. Ron glanced back at Harry with a curious expression, but Harry just grinned broadly and waved to him as they wandered off.

The following morning, Harry and Ron were sitting in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place eating breakfast, both of their moods drastically different from the previous day. "Brilliant, that's brilliant," Harry was saying.

"Yeah, I'm just shocked," Ron was saying, he shook his head but he was unable to stop smiling. "George was all right with it, I talked to him last night."

Lansing had persuaded Ron to come and train with Harry two days a week for a position in the office. Ron had initially said that he didn't feel he was ready, but Lansing told him how much faith he had in him and offered him a significant increase in salary. Ron had left the ministry that evening feeling over joyed at his good luck and much more confident.

"Now all I have to do is talk to Hermione into forgiving me," he said with a sigh.

"She'll be all right, let's go," Harry said.

It was Saturday around one o'clock; Ginny had mentioned in one of her letters that there was another Hogsmeade trip planned for that weekend, so Ron knew Hermione would have some free time. Harry and Ron left Grimmauld Place and Apparated to Hogsmeade, hoping to catch Hermione and Ginny both before they went back to the castle. It wasn't long before they ran into Ginny and Luna just outside of Honeydukes.

"You should just come back to school, Harry," Ginny said with a grin as she hugged him tightly. "You're always here now."

"It's been two weeks," he replied, squeezing her tightly. "How are you, Luna?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I've got my flights planned for after school and I'm looking forward to traveling," she said in her dreamy tone.

"Flights?" Harry asked, glancing at Ginny.

"Yes, I'm going to be flying to the Ukraine with daddy to look for Crumple-Horned Snorkacks and a few other animals. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I would love to be back for your first game, Ginny," Luna replied.

"Well, I have to make the team first, you know," Ginny said smiling slightly.

"You'll make it, don't worry," Luna replied.

Ginny suddenly turned on Ron and glowered. "So, have you decided to finally apologize?"

"If you must know, yes, I have," he responded. "I'm sorry."

"Not to me, you git; to Hermione," she scoffed.

"I know I need to apologize to Hermione, but I'm sorry to you as well, because I know it pissed you off," Ron replied smirking. Ginny glowered, but lowered her defensive posture and finally smacked Ron on the arm.

"She was really hurt, you know, that you didn't believe her," she said.

"I know, it was stupid. Have you seen her?" Ron asked glancing around.

"We ran into her earlier, but she was headed back to the castle," Luna said. "She may already be there."

"Well, then that's where we go," Ron said. They waved goodbye to Luna, who was staying behind to assist Aberforth Dumbledore with a wrackspurt problem she claimed he was having, and headed up the hill.

Hermione was walking back; she was about half a mile away from the gates when the drawling, unwelcome voice of Draco Malfoy echoed in her ears.

"Hermione, wait up! I've been following you for the last mile," he called, she could hear him panting slightly as he approached.

She increased her pace, sighing in irritation. "Go away, Draco," she muttered.

"Now, that's no way to talk!" Draco said as he began to walk beside her. "I wanted to talk with you, but you wandered off too quickly."

"That's because, since you can't get the hint, I don't want to talk to you!"

"Is that anyway for the Head Girl to act? I need some attention; as I am a Prefect, I think you owe it to me to listen. Besides, you also owe me for breaking that glass and cutting my hand open," he said in a low voice, reaching out to seize her hand.

She pulled away and glared at him. "Don't touch me!" she shrieked. "What the hell do you want?"

Draco moved closer to her, she stepped back. "I think you need to get over this. Weasley isn't coming back; he's gotten pissed and given up on you. So, moving on from that-"

"I'm not moving on from that!" Hermione shouted. "We had a row, we're not breaking up; he just needed some time. We needed some time-"

"You've had time, now it's time to make the right decision. So, I would suggest we start planning to meet up for drinks, or we can study, but it's time we started to get to know each other better," Draco said as he took another step closer to her.

"You really don't get it do you?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I'm – not – interested! Even if I was single, you are far too pushy and relentless for me to even consider-"

"You don't have to consider, it's already done," Draco shouted, anger crossing his features. "We're a matched pair, that loser isn't man enough for you and –"

"Ron Weasley is twice the man you are! He's more intelligent, smarter, stronger, and a better wizard and person than you'll ever be!" Hermione shouted, turning away from him and walking away. She hadn't gotten far before Draco grasped her upper arm tightly.

"I said don't – touch – me!" Hermione yelled, losing her temper and bringing her other hand around to slap Draco across the face.

He caught her hand and glared at her before grabbing her other wrist and twisting it behind her back. "I think it's time you figured out the difference between men and boys. I also think that you're just playing hard-to-get, and it's time we stopped the games," he hissed venomously. He grasped both her wrists in one hand and pulled her wand from the pocket of her robes, tossing it to the side as he pushed her back off the path and into the brush.

"Draco, what the hell are you doing?" Hermione shouted, pushing against him with all her weight. She felt fear rush through her veins and she tried to twist out of his grasp. "Let me go…let me go, please," she said, her voice shaking as he pushed her further off the path.

"No," Draco hissed pressing himself against her. "You're going to give me a chance, and as soon as you do, you won't want to leave my side," he muttered before slamming his lips against hers forcefully.

Hermione struggled and pulled away from his kiss, which only seemed to anger him more, and he pressed his mouth to hers again. She whimpered slightly, trying to pull away from him, when suddenly another voice echoed over them.

"OI!" the voice shouted. Hermione felt Draco's lips pull away from hers and his grip loosen. Taking the only chance she might have, she kicked him hard in the shins and pushed him away when he relinquished his hold on her. Looking up to see the identity of her savior, she watched in shock as Ron caught Draco as he stumbled away from her; his eyes were livid.

"I thought I told you to leave her alone?" Ron hissed in a malicious voice. Draco stammered but Ron turned him and flung him onto the path away from where Hermione stood. She looked at Ron with wide eyes as he glared after Draco. Ginny suddenly burst into the clearing and ran to Hermione's side, gently pulling her back toward the path, where she received another shock when she saw Harry pulling Draco to his feet.

"What the hell is your problem?" Ron shouted as he emerged, following in Ginny and Hermione's wake.

"What are you doing here, Weasley?" Draco shouted, scrabbling for his wand. Ron grasped his wand arm and punched him hard in the face. Draco fell to the ground, blood pouring from his nose.

"Ron," Harry said in a warning voice as he held Ron back from Draco's cowering figure. "Just take it easy."

Ron shook his head, but took a deep breath and steadied himself. "Are you okay?" he asked looking over at where Hermione stood.

She nodded, and suddenly overwhelmed by what had just happened and the appearance of Ron, tears began to stream down her face. She wiped her mouth furiously on her sleeve, trying to erase any feeling she had of Draco's lips against hers, while she tried to marshal the emotions running through her head.

"She would have been fine, Weasley! She just needs-"

"She needs you to stay away from her!" Ron bellowed, moving closer to where Draco was kneeling. "I ought to kill you with my bare hands for what you just tried to do!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Draco shouted jumping to his feet.

This time Harry stepped in-between them, he nudged Ron toward Hermione and grasped Draco firmly by the arms and shunted him back down the hill.

Ron shook his head and stepped over toward where Hermione stood. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm fine," she said. She looked up at him; his blue eyes were full of concern for her and a longing she hadn't seen in quite some time. Even though she felt an immense rush of joy over seeing him, the hurt he had caused her upon his last visit flooded through her veins as she stared back at him. "I need to shower," she muttered suddenly, turning and running toward the castle.

Ron watched her go, moving to follow, but Ginny stopped him. "Let her digest this for a minute, deal with that git, and then I'll let you into her room."

Ron nodded, and proceeded down the hill to where Harry stood talking with Draco.

"…don't know what the hell you're playing at, Malfoy!" Harry was saying, anger in his voice.

"I can't believe this, you and that prat showing up unannounced! She's still stuck on Weasley when she could be with someone like me," Draco whined as Ron approached.

"Draco, listen to yourself!" Harry said. "You can't obviously believe that. You just assaulted her."

"That was a mistake, I just lost control. I should have…I should have done something else," he stammered. "I should have…I just…" he started to groan, and leaned against his knees, his face becoming pallid and sweaty.

Harry and Ron stared at him curiously; Draco's eyes were slightly crazy, they seemed to be roaming in his head. "Is he going to make it?" Ron asked. "I didn't punch him that hard."

"Let's get him to the hospital wing," Harry said as he seized Draco by the arm. Ron grabbed the other arm and they pulled him along into the castle.

Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in the ward watching Madam Pomfrey administer several potions to Draco, who upon his initial arrival kept muttering about needing to see Hermione and collapsing as he fought against Harry and Ron's grip. Madam Pomfrey had managed to subdue him, and Draco was now sleeping fitfully, muttering and thrashing against the pillows he lay upon.

"It appears as though he's been continuously fed a type of potion that causes obsessive thoughts and feelings toward a person; though, I have no idea what type or how he would have ingested it for this long," she explained.

"How long?" Ron asked, suddenly curious.

"Well, judging from the state he's in now, I'd say he's going through withdrawal. He must have been taking it for months; it appears to be long acting so he'd only have to take it once a day to keep the feeling in his system," she said shaking her head.

Ron and Harry both glanced at each other curiously, both of them thinking the same thing. Who would be continuously providing Draco a potion to cause obsessive thoughts about Hermione?

"I'm going to keep him here, in the mean time I'm going to have Professor Slughorn search through his things to see if we can't find where he's been getting it," Madam Pomfrey explained as she strode back to her office to gather another antidote for Draco. Ron and Harry left, feeling slightly confused as to what had just happened. The climbed the stairs to the common room of Gryffindor tower and stood outside.

"Well, Ginny forgot to give us the password, so I guess we wait," Ron said with a sigh.

"It's 'phoenix flight'" said a voice behind them. They both turned to Seamus standing behind them grinning broadly. "What's up guys?"

They followed him through the portrait hole, talking briefly with Seamus about what they'd been up to since leaving Hogwarts and about the last Quidditch match. Ginny descended the steps and wandered over to where they stood.

"She's okay, she's just shaken up," she explained answering Ron and Harry's unspoken question. "She's done showering now, so you can go up there, Ron. The password is "crookshanks"."

Ron nodded and sighed heavily, mustering up his courage to talk to Hermione about both what happened today, and apologize for his stupidity on Valentine's Day.

He approached the top of the steps to where her room was, his stomach turning in knots as he stood outside. He closed his eyes, remembering what he had heard her shout as he, Harry and Ginny were racing up the hill to come to her aid. _"Ron Weasley is twice the man you are! He's more intelligent, smarter, stronger, and a better wizard and person than you'll ever be!" _ His confidence surging, Ron muttered the password and knocked on the door before opening it slightly.

"Hermione?"

He stepped inside, shutting the door behind him. She was seated in front of her dresser, running a brush through her wet hair. She had put on a tank-top and a pair of jeans and was staring at her face in the mirror. As the door clicked shut, Ron watched her eyes flick up toward him and examine him in the mirror.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked, taking a tentative step toward her.

"You keep asking me that," she responded quietly. "What do you want my answer to be?"

Ron didn't say anything; he stopped about three feet from where she sat. She stood up from her chair and turned to face him, her brown eyes reflecting a thousand different emotions. Ron was vaguely reminded of the night he had returned to her and Harry; the image of her launching herself upon him and punching him caused him to smirk against his better judgment.

"Something amusing?" Hermione asked, a trace of anger in her voice.

"Are you going to punch me?"

"I'm considering it."

"I won't stop you; I just want to be prepared."

Hermione sighed and dropped her eyes to the floor. "You hurt me. I didn't do anything, Ron, and you accused me of something that would be impossible for me to do. It hurt," she explained in a quiet tone.

She used the back of her hand to wipe away a tear that strayed down her cheek. Ron longed to hold her, but he didn't know how she wanted to be approached after what had happened earlier. "I don't know what I was thinking, I'm so sorry. I know you wouldn't ever do anything like that to me."

"How do you know?" she asked, still staring at the floor.

"Because you love me," Ron replied, taking a step toward her.

She looked up, meeting his blue eyes and examining his expression. He felt his confidence slip a little as he waited for her to respond, trying to keep the words she had shouted earlier in the front of his mind.

"What if I stopped?" she muttered.

Ron inhaled sharply, watching her expression. He was never any good at reading emotions, but as he stared into her face, he saw the same longing he felt. She was testing him, to see if he'd really taken the time to examine his own feelings and come to the conclusion that she had: that he was all she wanted.

"Tell me to leave," he replied.

Hermione's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

"If you stopped loving me, tell me to leave. If you don't want me here, tell me to go," he said, taking another step toward her. His face was inches from hers, his hands shaking at his sides. Ron begged his expression not to betray him and reveal the fear he felt at her words.

As he watched, Hermione's eyes began to glisten with tears. She took a step closer to him, the skin of her bare arms brushing against his hands. "I don't want you to leave," she whispered.

Ron sighed lightly, relief flooding through his system. Feeling as though two could play at the testing game, he allowed his hands to trace lines up and down her arms, watching with a hint of satisfaction as her eyes fluttered at his touch. "Why?"

Hermione lifted her hands, wiping the tears from her face before pressing her palms against Ron's chest. "Because I love you…I-"

"Always have," he finished for her, leaning his forehead against hers with a sigh. She slid her hands up over his shoulders, wrapping her arms around his neck. Ron smiled and tipped his head to press his lips to hers. As their mouths met, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close against him and rememorizing the feel of her body aligned with his.

They kissed passionately, a perfect synchronization of lips and tongues moving together. After a few moments, Hermione broke away from the kiss and laid her head against Ron's chest, a small sob escaping her lips. He held her tightly, laying his head against hers and inhaling her scent. "Are you sure you're okay? We heard you yelling at him, and we came racing up the hill. I'm sorry we didn't get there sooner; I'm sorry I was such a prat, I don't know what I was thinking. I can't even…I don't even want to think about what he was going to do, I don't care if he wasn't in his right mind," Ron said, the rush of words coming out so fast she had to concentrate to catch it all.

"Not in his right mind?" she asked, leaning back to look at him.

"After you left, Harry and I were asking him what the hell was going on. He kept on about you needing to give him a chance, then suddenly he just went sort of limp, and he got all sweaty and paler than normal. Harry and I took him to the hospital wing. By the time we got him there he was mumbling and all sorts of strange things. Madam Pomfrey reckons he's been taking some kind of a potion to make him obsessed with you, but they're not sure how he got it," Ron explained as he stroked Hermione's hair.

"A potion? How long has he been taking it?" She asked incredulously.

"She wasn't sure, she guessed for months," he said with a shrug.

Hermione considered this, lowering her hands to grasp Ron's. "He gets a package every morning; I assumed it was from his parents."

"Every day? In the mornings?"

"He always makes a big deal out of it, and that gigantic owl of his is hard to ignore. Last week he started offering me candy that he'd been sent, but I didn't take any," she explained.

"Huh," Ron said, his brain kicking into high gear. Hermione yawned and shook her head slightly. "You're tired, come," he said taking her hand and pulling her toward her bed. She lay down on the pillows and covered herself up, glancing at him with her brown eyes.

"Please stay with me. I just want to take a nap right now," she whispered.

Ron smiled and lowered himself down on the bed next to her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her again. She snuggled against his broad chest, sighing as he began to stroke her hair.

"Hermione, I love you. I'm-"

Ron's apology was silenced when she pressed her lips to his. "You are forgiven; I missed you terribly," she whispered against his lips.

He smiled, kissing her once again before she laid her head back against his chest. "I missed you, too," he said, closing his eyes and enjoying the feel of her warm body against his and her hair tickling his neck as she fell asleep.

The next few days passed in a flurry of activity. Ron and Hermione had made up from their row, and now appeared to be closer than ever, much to Ginny's and Harry's relief. That Monday, Ron was forced to return to London for work, but he promised Hermione he would visit when they had their next Hogsmeade weekend at the end of March.

"I'll write you, and if you need me for anything, just mention it and I'll be here," Ron assured her, kissing her lightly on the nose.

"Ron, I will be fine, but I'll keep that in mind if it gets drafty in my room," she teased with a smirk.

Harry had sent a message with Pigwidgeon to Lansing and Kingsley about what happened with Malfoy, they arrived at Hogwarts Monday afternoon to investigate. When the mail came that morning, they seized Draco's regular package to examine it.

"All mail to and from the Malfoys' residence is still being searched," Lansing commented. "I'll be having a talk with those responsible if there is something in here and they didn't catch it."

"Who is in charge of searching it?" Harry asked.

"A small department within Magical Law Enforcement," Kingsley said. "I just have a hard time believing his parents would slip him something that potent."

Professor Slughorn had brought a few of Malfoy's things to the ward, including a box of chocolate candies that his parents had sent to them.

"She sends it all the time, I like chocolate. It's just candy!" Draco argued as he watched Lansing and Slughorn search through his belongings. "Where's Hermione? Can I see her?" he kept asking.

After some examination of the various chocolates that Draco had been sent, it was determined that, over the course of the last seven months, Draco had unknowingly been continuously consuming the Amortentia potion within the chocolates.

"Whoever sent the items must have had access to something of Ms. Granger's; in order for the potion to work properly, when the charm is placed on it to cause attraction to a particular person, there has to be some sort of essence of the target around for it to work properly. Otherwise, whoever ate the chocolates would just become obsessed with the first person he or she saw," Slughorn explained as he broke the some of the chocolate apart, pouring the liquid center into a small flask.

"Is it possible that he consumed them right before he saw Ms. Granger, and subsequently became obsessed with her, and the more he consumed it the larger the obsession grew?" Lansing suggested.

"Possible, but quite unlikely," Slughorn said. "It seems that the obsession for Ms. Granger was in place as soon as he ate any of the chocolate."

"How do you know?" Lansing asked.

Slughorn lifted the flask and held it up to his nose before passing it to Harry. "What does that scent remind you of, Mr. Potter?"

Harry took the glass of liquid and breathed in deeply, noting the trace of vanilla and cinnamon within the mixture. "It reminds me of Hermione," he said, a tone of incredulity to his voice.

"And what do you typically smell when you are around the Amortentia potion?"

Harry blushed slightly and shuffled his feet. "A broomstick handle, treacle tart…"

"Ginny Weasley, perhaps?" Slughorn suggested, watching has Harry blushed brighter. "That's why whoever made this mixture had to have access to something of Ms. Granger's in order to make Mr. Malfoy here become that obsessed."

"Well, from the way Hermione's been acting, I highly doubt she had anything to do with it," Lansing said. "She's been trying to avoid him for weeks as he's pursued her. It's started to worry me a bit."

"So, are we thinking his parents, or someone at the office?" Kingsley asked.

"It could be either," Lansing commented. "I say we start with the Malfoys, get their take on the events, and go from there."

Kingsley nodded in agreement; he and Lansing began to gather up evidence and turned to discuss a few more things with McGonagall and Slughorn. Harry wandered out of the infirmary doors and ran straight into Ginny and Hermione who were lurking outside.

"So, is it true?" Hermione asked. "Was he taking a love potion?"

"It seems like it, but they don't think you had anything to do with it. Turns out there were always chocolates in his packages that were spiked with Amortentia," Harry explained in a low voice.

Ginny widened her eyes, "So then it's his parents doing it?" she asked in a shocked whisper.

"Not necessarily," Harry said. "All mail to and from Malfoy Manner is still being searched by the Ministry, so whoever did it could have switched out the chocolates during the search. Or they could have missed it and it did come from his parents, we're not sure."

Hermione shook her head. "If it's not his parents, and someone inside the Ministry did it… that makes two people inside the Ministry who are doing illegal potion trafficking."

Ginny glanced at Hermione curiously. "How do you figure?"

"Well, it could be the same person, but I've been doing some thinking about these poisonings, and you said that those vials were taken during the break in after Christmas, Harry. That had to be a Ministry employee, or a guest. I'm wondering if they could have used the snake's blood in the poison." Hermione asked thoughtfully.

"It's possible, but in every sample we've gotten, especially the sample from that canister we recovered when Ron and I got Travers, it's venom in the mix, not blood," Harry explained.

Ginny and Hermione fell silent, both of them looking slightly anxious as they considered the possibilities of someone within the Ministry performing these acts.

"Perhaps they're trying to keep you distracted by causing disruptions to everyone around you, Harry," Ginny suggested.

"But why don't they just come after me?" He asked.

"Because that's too obvious, and you're used to that. You're not used to people going after your friends directly instead of you, and you always said that was your biggest fear," she explained.

Harry considered her, this was a possibility he hadn't considered, which suddenly made him more concerned for Ginny's safety than he already was. Before he could think about it any further, the doors opened and Lansing and Kingsley exited the infirmary.

"Ready to be off, Potter?" Lansing asked as he shuffled a few papers. "Oh, hello girls," he said with a smile when he noticed Ginny and Hermione standing next to Harry. "Everything okay?"

"Yes, we were just telling Harry to be careful," Hermione said quickly.

"We'll keep an eye on him, you two take care of yourselves," Lansing said with a wink before he and Kingsley began to walk toward the front door. Hermione hugged Harry quickly, and asked him to say hello to Ron, before she turned to and walked into the Great Hall to resume breakfast.

Ginny considered Harry's apprehensive glance at her. "I'm sure it's nothing, my mind is just working overdrive, Harry," she assured him, patting his arm.

Harry nodded as he grasped her hand tightly. He pulled her close to him, wrapping his arms around her and laying his head against hers, inhaling deeply. "Please, take care of yourself," he whispered.

"I always do," Ginny replied, squeezing him tightly. She lifted her head and looked up into his eyes, smiling encouragingly. Harry tipped his head and their lips met; she sensed he was trying to put a lot of unspoken emotions into the kiss, and she tried to respond accordingly.

Harry ran his fingers through her hair before he cupped her face and deepened the kiss. Ginny responded by leaning closer to him, her hands traveling up his chest to his shoulders. As their lips moved together, Harry tried to communicate to her how badly he wanted to stay with her at this moment, that he never wanted to leave her side. His tongue parted her lips, trying to communicate how much he loved her, how much he wanted her to be safe, and how badly he wanted her next to him always…

"Harry?" Lansing's voice called, his tone amused rather than reproachful. "Are you planning on letting Ms. Weasley go to class, or should we take her along with us?"

Harry slowed the pace of his breathing, planting a final kiss on Ginny's lips, her nose, and her forehead. He sighed deeply, "I'm coming, sorry," he called in response to Lansing's question.

Ginny smiled. "I'll see you soon; don't worry, Harry."

He grinned and hugged her tightly. "Next time can we find someplace to be alone?"

"I'll work on that," she whispered, kissing the spot on his neck that she knew gave him chills. She laughed out loud as he flinched and gripped her tightly, before forcing himself to pull away from her. He waved to her as he followed Lansing out the door, and she watched them walk away until they were no longer visible.

"I was quite concerned about the show you two were about to give the students," Lansing teased with a booming laugh as Harry caught up with him. Harry shook his head and blushed furiously, but grinned none the less.

Lansing went back to the office to file a report about the incident, but Kingsley and Harry decided to drop by Malfoy Manor to discuss what had happened.

"Ah, Minister," Lucius' cold, drawling voice greeted. "To what do I owe this… unexpected pleasure of your visit?"

"Harry and I are here about your son, Lucius," Kingsley explained as he stepped inside.

"My son?" Lucius asked curiously. Narcissa entered the room and her eyes widened at Harry's presence, he noticed she looked scared to death.

"Has something happened to Draco?" Narcissa asked quietly.

"Nothing long lasting, but I do have a few questions about the packages he's been receiving," Kingsley started. He explained in detail how Draco had apologized to Hermione on the train to Hogwarts, and since that time had begun to harass her frequently, culminating in the events of the past weekend when he tried to assault her.

"It seems as though the chocolates were filled with Amortentia," Kingsley explained. "The subject of the love potion was Ms. Granger, which is why Draco developed the unhealthy obsession."

Narcissa's eyes were wide and livid; beside her, Lucius was silent. "So, what you are saying is that someone has been feeding Draco a love potion, to cause him to fall in love with that mu….uh…. muggle-born girl?" Narcissa asked, stumbling to cover the insult she almost let slip.

"Yes, might I ask to go through your potion cabinets?" Kingsley said.

"Surely you can't think we had anything to do with this!" Lucius asked incredulously.

"The circumstances are suspicious; are you denying me access to your stores?" Kingsley asked.

"No, not at all; Search away," Lucius said, standing and escorting Kingsley to the other room, still sputtering his exclamations that they, in no way, would have ever wanted Draco to become involved with Hermione.

Harry sat in the sitting room with Narcissa, both of them very uncomfortable with the others company. To break up the silence, Harry finally spoke.

"Mrs. Malfoy," he started quietly. "I … I need to thank you-"

"Don't!" she hissed. "Don't… thank me, Potter. I would appreciate it if that information could stay between the two of us," she said, in a cold, formal tone.

Harry nodded, now even more uncomfortable with where he sat. Much to his relief, it wasn't long before Lucius returned with Kingsley.

"Thank you for being cooperative," Kingsley said. "We'll be looking into the people who are in charge of searching your mail; I'll let you know when we find something," Kingsley explained.

"I should hope so," Lucius responded with a sneer. He opened the door and allowed Harry and Kingsley to exit, shutting it quickly behind them.

"Can you believe this?" he spat at Narcissa. "Draco… going after to that mudblood! I can't… If they don't find out who did this-"

"Lucius," Narcissa whispered. "I need to go out for a while."

Lucius' eyes narrowed. "You're not going to go visit her, are you? We've managed to lay low, both sides leaving us alone. We said we were through, and that no matter what happened, we were going to stay uninvolved! It could cause us tremendous problems if we go back."

"I have to go, I have to know why," she explained grabbing her cloak and peering out the door to make sure Kingsley and Potter had gone. She glanced back at her husband, his expression was worried. She sighed and shook her head, shutting the door behind her and walking to the end of the lane, disappearing with a resounding "crack!"

* * *

"Hermione says 'Hello'," Harry told Ron when he arrived at home that evening. Kreacher had made stew and Ron sat at the table, going over some of Harry's books.

"I'm really nervous," he said, looking apprehensively at a picture of a wizard casting a spell that resulted in a ring of fire surround him. "I … I don't think I'm ready for this, Harry."

"You'll be fine! Tim is great, and you'll be in training with me, so it'll be just like class," Harry assured him. He sat down and began to help himself to the stew when George wandered in, looking cheerful and full of good news.

"Evening, boys!" He greeted as he hung up his cloak.

"What's gotten you in such a good mood?" Ron asked curiously, a small smirk crossing his face.

"Well, Angelina has successfully moved into the apartment above the shop, so she'll be helping us out from now on, Ron," he explained as he sat down at the table.

"You've shagged her, haven't you?" Ron blurted out, dropping his spoon and splattering the table with stew.

"Gracious, Ronald," George said in an over-dramatic tone of voice. "Such scandalous words, now really, I think that we should keep our private lives to ourselves."

"Oh, come off it!" Ron shouted while Harry laughed. "You did, didn't you?"

George smirked, but shook his head and helped himself to the stew. They ate in silence, both Ron and Harry sniggering as George sat opposite them looking rather smug.

"I actually do need to talk to you two," he said after they were finished with the main course and had moved onto dessert. "It's been great being here, it really has. I can't thank you enough, Harry, for letting me stay. It's made getting the shop back up so much easier for Ron and me."

"'S'no problem," Harry said as he swallowed a large bite. "I'm glad to help."

George nodded. "But, Angelina and I did some talking, and we've actually decided to move in together, that's one of the reasons she moved above the shop. So, I'll probably be moving out at the end of this week, if you don't mind."

Ron and Harry glanced at each other. "Does mum know?" Ron asked.

"Not yet," George said. "But I'll tell her after it's done. I'm sure she'll be more worried about the fact that you two will be alone than the fact that I'm living with a girl."

"We'll miss you," Harry said. "But that's good for you and Angelina both."

George nodded. "Well, I figured we'd make the most of the last week at least," he said with a grin. "We can head to the pub on Friday for a few drinks, celebrate my becoming a man and –"

"So you did shag her!" Ron said with an excited expression. He and Harry laughed loudly when, for the first time that they could remember, George began to blush furiously.

"Shut up," he said, shaking his head as Ron and Harry sniggered. "Let's play some snap; I can educate you boys on the finer points of impressing a woman…. Though, Harry, you're not allowed to try any of this on my sister."

* * *

"I'm going to kill him, this is not the kind of attitude I expected from someone who was _so loyal_ to my father's regime. Dropping that canister, abandoning our plans. I expect more loyalty than this!"

The tall woman with dark hair screeched and threw over a table which had been covered in bottles. The others who sat with her in the dilapidated house flinched in shock, not knowing what or how to respond.

"My Lady," Amycus said in a low voice. "Travers never had the spine for this sort of thing; they's too much about appearances. It's time we-"

"Appearances count for something," Rodolphus Lestrange responded. "If we're going to maintain a silent threat, we need to have appearances on our side."

"I say to hell with the silent threat!" Amycus roared. "I say we attack, they won't see it coming. The sooner we continue the Dark Lord's plans, the better!"

"No," the tall dark woman said. "My father ordered subtly, he was patient, he waited until the right time. And we will do the same thing," she explained, examining the long Yew wand she had been given from him when he obtained the Elder Wand.

The door to the room where they all sat suddenly opened, and a tall, pale, figure with white-blonde hair strode into the room, looking apprehensive.

"Narcissa," the dark woman said. "Nice of you to grace us with your presence."

"Why did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Why involve my son? He's been through enough. And you gave him a love potion! To fall for a mudblood! What was that supposed to do? How does that fit into the plans?"

"It seemed prudent to me to separate the trio of heroes, the easiest way to do that would be to disrupt their love lives. Draco was an easy target, simply a means to an end," she explained with a shrug, turning her dark eyes on Narcissa's figure.

"We agreed not to disclose you, we agreed we would take the fall and be silent. We did not agree to this!" Narcissa yelled, losing control of her temper.

"You are partly the reason my father is dead," the dark woman responded in a threatening tone. "I think I can involve you, or your son, in any way I see fit."

"No, you can't! I'll not stand for it any longer. You might be the Dark Lord's child, but his power and abilities are dead and you-"

Narcissa was thrown against the wall violently, gasping for air. The dark woman walked toward her, wand held to her throat. "His blood runs through my veins. He taught me secrets he never shared with another human. And I have his wand, the twin of Potter's; his power lives on through me," she hissed.

Stepping back, she aimed her wand at Narcissa and with a smirk, she cried "CRUCIO!"

Narcissa screamed and writhed upon the floor, the others standing around watching in awe at the power they could feel emanating from her as she cast the unforgivable curse. After five minutes of torture, the woman lifted the spell. Narcissa lay panting and sobbing on the ground.

"It seems prudent to me, for the time being, to let our plans rest," the woman said to the room at large. "The ministry is still trying to undo the Mudblood regulation laws; until those laws are overturned, I suggest we lay low and work on building our ranks back up. The time will come when we can announce ourselves and our goals, and at that time, we will continue the plans my father laid in place. Harry Potter, and the others who assisted in his defeat, will pay dearly for what they robbed me of, I don't care if it takes a year or ten; they will pay."

She turned back to Narcissa, who was just getting to her feet. "Does anyone else have any issues with our plans?" No one responded; the heads of the fifteen people, some Death Eaters, others new to the cause, nodded in agreement. "Very good. I will continue to provide you with residence in this neutral state. Do not, I repeat, do not come back to England unless you are summoned. When the time is right, we will continue with the plans. In the mean time, you are all to work on duplicating the poison and perfecting it. I want the muggles who ingest it to show themselves for the filthy, stupid animals they are, and the mudbloods and blood-traitors who oppose us will suffer the same consequences. When we become active again, it will be stronger and with a better purpose, and finally my father's dream will be fulfilled."

She raised her wand high in the air, creating an image of a snake and spider crawling amongst a skull. "To the Dark Lord!"

"To the Dark Lord!" the room cried in response.

* * *

A/N: Long chapter, no? Please leave your feedback! thanks for the continued support with the story, writing is my dream and I hope some day to take my own work of fiction public =)


	26. Into The Eye

A/N: Many have commented that the song I reference below was written by Howie Day. You are correct, thank you spell check on Microsoft word for interpreting that incorrectly. I have updated and changed the name to do the beautiful song justice and apologize for any confusion.

Into the eye

Collide – Howie Day.

* * *

Time, which had been passing rather slowly, suddenly began to speed up; almost as though it sensed that they were passing through the eye of a storm. It became clear to the Aurors that whoever was responsible for placing the Amortentia laced chocolates into Draco's daily packages had covered their tracks very well, or disappeared entirely.

"The two junior post guards who work in the law office kept very scrupulous records of what was in each package they inspected. They broke open the chocolates, and examined the contents each time they were included in Mr. Malfoy's packages. The samples they kept showed that there was cream and cherry filling in the chocolates, not the Amortentia," Sabrina had explained. Since she was familiar with everyone in the Magical Law Enforcement Patrol office, she had been assigned to investigate the incident. "I also checked their wands just in case, but Amortentia is not something you can conjure from somewhere else. I really think we're looking at an outside party, Gideon," she told Lansing after she had completed her files.

"It just doesn't make any sense," Neville had commented to Harry. "Why Hermione? And what on earth would be the point in making him fall in love with her?"

"You've got me," Harry had replied. "Other than to try and break her and Ron up, there is no point."

If that had been the desired effect, whoever responsible had failed miserably. Ron and Hermione were now closer than ever, both of them writing daily to the other and at least two times a week talking through the floo network. Ron had convinced Hermione to forgo moving back in with her parents when she was finished with her N.E.W.T's, choosing instead to stay at Grimmauld Place and look for a job within the Ministry, or taking a few classes at the University.

"Think of all the good you could do for S.P.E.W," Ron had said in a slightly teasing tone to her one evening, ignoring Harry's loud laugh from the other room.

"You know, that is a good point. Okay, I'll think about that then, are you sure Harry won't mind?" Hermione asked.

She heard an unintelligible shout of what sounded like positive words coming from the other room and watched Ron roll his eyes. "He says you're mental for even asking that, and he says that we need to place a permanent silencing charm around my room," Ron explained with a grin.

Hermione's life had also improved drastically as she could now roam the halls freely without being hassled by Draco. The only contact they had had was on the Monday after he was released from the infirmary. He sat down next to her and Ginny's usual table in Defense Against The Dark Arts and had mumbled a strange apology, but an apology none the less.

"Granger," he had said, Hermione relishing the sound of him readopting her surname, "I apologize for anything I may have done while I was… you know."

"Apology accepted," Hermione had replied. With that, Draco had turned his attention to the front and had not spoken to her since.

"Well, that's over and done with. So, now what shall we focus on?" Ginny teased that evening over dinner.

"Studying… and then getting the hell out of here," Hermione responded. Ginny laughed so hard at her comment that the entire table turned to look in their direction, scowling at her outburst.

"Oh, if only I could play back what you just said," Ginny replied, wiping tears from her eyes that had welled up as she laughed.

"Speaking of playing back things I say," said Hermione, "Ron mentioned George giving him a hard time about me needing to use a book the first time that we… Um… you know."

"That happened?" Ginny asked in astonishment.

"Of course not; but, George was saying that I was going to need to use a book. I want to find this book he was talking about, and start quoting it sometime to get him wondering," Hermione said with a mischievous grin.

Ginny stared, blinking her eyes rapidly. "I _am_ rubbing off on you!" she said proudly. "Did Ron mention the name of the book?"

"No, he didn't."

"I'll write Angelina and ask her; she'll know what George was talking about," Ginny said with a snicker.

George had moved out of Grimmauld Place the second weekend in March. The three of them had celebrated with a night out in London, being escorted place to place by a very animated and excitable Tim. Ron's workload at the shop began to increase exponentially, however; it seemed as though George and Angelina were more wrapped up in each other at times than the work that needed to be done.

"I swear, the day I come in and find them shagging behind the counter, I'm through," Ron had told Harry one evening, shaking his head when Harry started laughing hysterically.

"Remind George that we had told him what happens when you fraternize with the help," Harry had replied when his laughter ceased.

Watching his friends lives settle down was joyful for Harry and, to his pleasure, his seemed to do the same. The Caterwauling charms that he and Tim had set up weren't activated, and the random poisonings had ceased. The Muggles who had been in St. Mungo's for treatment were released after their memories were modified and had resumed their normal lives. The focus of the Auror team began to shift back to training for Harry and Neville, and on continuing to change and update laws that had been put into place under Voldemort's regime.

March flew by and turned into April. The first week passed and on the tenth of April, Harry, Ron, and Andromeda took Teddy Lupin to the Burrow to celebrate his first birthday. Bill and Fleur had come to celebrate with them, as they had gotten close to Lupin through working with the Order and wanted to mark the occasion. They all laughed as they watched the toddler make a mess out of the cake Mrs. Weasley had baked him, and when he opened the package Hermione and Ginny had sent, the pop-up books they had found caused Teddy to laugh every time he opened them. Harry had splurged and gotten his God-son a toy broomstick, much like the one he had seen himself riding in the torn photo he recovered from Sirius' room.

"Aww, look at him go," Andromeda said. "You'll be teaching him Quidditch in no time! Though, I will have to redo my protective charms, thank you very much," she said in a teasing voice to Harry.

April also brought with it Ginny's final Quidditch match against Slytherin. Her nerves were high and the rivalry between the two houses had not ceased, so the game was being highly anticipated by all. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Neville came to Hogwarts to watch the match, which was won two-hundred and fourteen to sixty by Gryffindor. The party that followed in the common was one of celebration that they had again won the cup, but also one that focused on Ginny's upcoming prospect as a player for the Holyhead Harpies.

"You'll be in the Quidditch World Cup, and I'll be able to say you were my captain!" Demelza had teased. The whole house was rowdy, even Hermione didn't bother to try and settle them down. The event lasted so late that Harry, Ron, and Neville ended up staying and occupying their old dorm one last time.

"This is it, once Hermione and Ginny are gone, we won't have a reason to come back, will we?" Ron said, a remorseful tone to his voice.

"Life goes on, I guess. Besides, I quite like living on my own," Harry said, watching as Ron nodded and began to acknowledge the perks of life outside the castle.

April turned to May, which sped past and changed into June. With much preparation, and a little bit of stress, Hermione and Ginny took their N.E.W.T. tests the first week of the month. They knew they wouldn't have the results for at least a month, but the relief of finally finishing the tests and knowing they were done with school was enough to make them giddy with excitement.

"I'm going to miss it here, though," Ginny said, as they wandered through the halls late that evening. "It seems sort of surreal that we're done. I keep waiting for something to happen."

"I know what you mean," Hermione agreed. "It doesn't feel complete without some sort of drama. And we completely missed the anniversary of the battle."

"We did!" Ginny exclaimed. "That surprises me; I'll have to ask Harry if Kingsley mentioned anything about it."

That evening when Harry received Ginny's letter, he too realized the oversight of the final battle's anniversary. The following morning, he wandered up to Kingsley's to admit his lapse of memory.

"It just kind of shocked me, because I forgot completely about it as well," Harry confessed. "It doesn't feel like it's been a year."

"No, it doesn't. I meant to arrange a ceremony, but with the poisonings and the trials and such, it just slipped my mind," Kingsley said, sighing heavily and running his hand over his head.

"Perhaps next year, just an acknowledgement to the public that we've been without Voldemort for so long, especially if we capture the rest of the Death Eaters, or find who's responsible for those two poisonings," Harry said.

"I think you're right, Harry. I'll make plans, and mark it on my calendar to work on it. I think the three of you deserve some recognition, I'll see what I can-"

"No," Harry said, holding up his hand. "We don't need anything. Besides, there were so many people who helped; it's really unfair to just single us out."

"But you, Ron, and Hermione did most of the work in defeating Voldemort. Surely you should-"

"No, no… we don't need anything. But, I do have one favor to ask, now that I think of it," Harry said.

"Of course," Kingsley responded, leaning back in his chair and watching Harry with a thoughtful expression.

"I'd like to have Professor Snape's portrait up in the Headmaster's office of Hogwarts," he explained. "He deserves it, and I think he deserves recognition for the part he played before and during the war. The man is a huge reason for my continued existence, and I never got the chance to thank him while he was alive. It's the least I could do."

Kingsley considered Harry as he leaned his elbows against the desk. "You have a point. Especially after you told us what Severus went through to keep his secret and his role as a double agent. I'll have the proceedings started to issue him a full pardon, then," Kingsley agreed with a nod.

Harry smiled. "Thank you, Minister."

"I also think an Order of Merlin would be appropriate, as well," Kingsley stated as an afterthought, watching Harry nod in agreement.

Kingsley assigned Harry the task of helping to write the proceedings, and preparing a statement for the Wizengamot regarding Snape. This added a bit to his increasing workload with the Auror office. Harry had been promoted to Defense Specialist, which now meant he was taking on assignments of his own. Though, since not much was happening, Tim tended to take him on missions to attempt to locate the remaining Death Eaters.

"Well, with Travers and that other one out of the way, we have the two Lestrange brothers, the Carrow siblings, Nott, Mulciber, Selwyn, and Rowle that are still at large. Though, admittedly, Mulciber, Nott, and Selwyn probably aren't active, they may just be in hiding," Tim explained one afternoon.

"Any leads?"

"None, they're damn good at hiding, I'll give them that," Tim said shaking his head.

A week later, Harry and Ron were surprised by the sudden appearance of Ginny and Hermione on the steps of Grimmauld Place.

"We've decided that since our tests our done, and since Ginny has to be in Holyhead on Thursday, that we were going to forgo the feast and come stay with you two," Hermione explained to a shocked Ron when they opened the door. "That is, if you don't mind."

"Hell no, we don't mind!" Ron exclaimed enthusiastically. He ran at Hermione and pulled her into the hallway, pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss.

"Ugh! You have a room, Ron, take her to it," Ginny teased as she wandered past, nudging him playfully with her elbow. "Where's Harry?"

"Upstairs," Ron explained, as he hugged Hermione tighter against him. "He said something about taking a nap."

Ginny wandered upstairs quietly, opening the door to Harry's room and peeking inside. She smiled as she observed his sleeping figure stretched out on the bed. Moving inside and shutting the door, she discarded her shoes and wandered over to where he lay, curling up against him. Harry groaned slightly, before opening his eyes and jumping at her unexpected presence.

"Ginny?" he asked thickly, reaching around for his glasses.

She grabbed his wrists to stop his searching. "It's me," she whispered, "Hermione and I ducked out of Hogwarts early."

"What time is it?"

"Two o'clock, what time did you get home?"

Harry sighed, "About an hour ago. Tim and I were out all night looking for the Carrows. He's got a feeling that they're involved in that poisoning, so he's searching all over the place looking for them."

Ginny laid her head against his chest. "That's a long night, I'm sorry I woke you."

"I'm glad you woke me," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. They lay quietly for a while, Harry's hand stroking her hair as his breathing evened out.

The feel of his hands running through her hair made Ginny feel restless, and though she had a feeling she should let him sleep, she began to have other ideas in mind. She turned and pressed her lips against his bare chest, smiling against his skin when he sighed deeply and squeezed her tighter. She trailed kisses along his chest as she slid higher, moving so their hips were level and he turned on his side. Ginny pressed her lips against Harry's neck and shuddered when he slid his hands under her shirt and began trace the line of fabric that covered her breasts. He unclasped the hook, and in a swift motion, pulled both the bra and shirt off of her so they were both naked from the waist up. Laying her body next to his again, her eyes fluttered as he gently cupped her breasts and ran the pads of his thumbs over her nipples. Harry tipped his head so he could kiss her soft lips, but was surprised when she shied away and buried her face in his neck, continuing to nip and kiss the sensitive skin behind his ears and over his collar bones.

"Since when do you not kiss me?" He asked in a husky voice, tracing patterns over her nipples and smiling as she shuddered under his touch.

Ginny tipped her head up, kissing Harry softly and slowly. She let her fingers trace the top of the pajama pants he wore before tugging the material aside and trailing her fingers through the smattering of hair on his stomach. She felt him pause slightly, and she moved her hand lower, letting her fingers wrap around his growing erection and squeezing gently.

Ginny opened her eyes when Harry gasped out loud, his eyes closing as he buried his face into her shoulder. She ran the pad of her thumb over the head of his penis, her eyes widening as he groaned and rocked his hips against her hand. Feeling empowered by his responses to her touch, she pulled him slightly on top of her so she could angle her hand and press her whole palm against the length of him. She squeezed gently again, but kept her grip soft as she gently stroked up and down, thrilled with both the sounds he made, and the way he fit perfectly into her hand. She noted how long he seemed, and was fascinated by how soft the skin was on this unseen part of his body.

As she continued to move, she noticed that his hands had moved from her breasts to her waist, one gripping the outer edge of her hip and the other tangled in her hair. She pressed her lips against his, lingering when the kiss ended to just listen to him breathe and inhale the scent of him as he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Is this okay?" she asked quietly, squeezing gently again.

Harry let out another audible groan, his eyes squeezing shut and his hips thrusting against her hand. He nodded his head yes, mouthing the words silently with his lips. She watched in fascination as his brow furrowed in concentration and he rocked his hips in rhythm with her movements.

Harry had been about to fall back to sleep, but suddenly he was wide awake and his senses were on high alert. The feel of Ginny's soft hands wrapped around him was incomparable to anything he had ever fantasized about. She continued to slide her hand up and down the length of him, kissing him lightly every so often, but mostly just watching his expression. At first he had been embarrassed of his reactions, but the more she touched him, the less he found he cared as the sensations overwhelmed him completely.

Her touches were wonderful, but his own fingers itched to touch her and cause the same pleasure for her that she was giving him. He slid the hand that was resting on her hip toward her stomach, unbuttoning her jeans before he grasped her thigh with his hand, pulling her leg up and hitching it over his hip.

"You don't have to-" she started to whisper, but he pressed his mouth against hers fiercely, silencing her statement.

"I want to," he whispered, his voice lower than normal. She whimpered, the most erotic sound he had ever heard, as he slid his hand down her stomach, under her knickers, and between her legs, the moisture he found there stimulating him even more as he slipped one of his fingers inside her and listened to her gasp in response.

Trying to not let herself become distracted by the fact that he was now touching her, Ginny gripped him more firmly and moved her hand faster. Harry responded by thrusting his hips against her and groaning, before rubbing his thumb over the sensitive nub he had found the last time they had traveled down these paths.

Ginny sighed deeply. "Harry," she whispered, pressing her lips against his again.

The sound of her voice, husky with lust, whispering his name, sent him over the edge. He tried to pull away from her, to prevent what he knew was about to happen from shocking her, but she moved with him, tracing her thumb along the underside of his penis. She kissed him and he groaned aloud, as shock waves of pleasure radiated from where her hand was gripping him all throughout his body. It seemed to go on forever, Harry felt dizzy from the sensation. His breath came in pants, and he buried his head in Ginny's shoulder, inhaling her scent as she held him tightly.

"I'm… oh… I'm sorry," he stuttered. "I tried to… I didn't mean to-"

"Harry," Ginny whispered, her breath tickling his ear as she breathed. "It's all right. Here," she said as she reached behind him and grabbed her wand, "E_vanesce_," she whispered.

Harry felt a tingling sensation, but then the moisture that had been seeping into his clothing evaporated. Ginny withdrew her hand, waving it in front of him to demonstrate the effectiveness of her spell. He grinned and laced his fingers with hers. "Can I ask… what prompted that?" he whispered as he pulled her arm around his neck.

Ginny smiled. "Returning the favor," she said simply.

"I see… so, can I do the same?" he asked, tracing the thumb of his hand that was still between her legs across her clitoris, and smirking as she shuddered.

Ginny had brought her lips to his again, completely intending to allow him to do whatever he liked to her, when there was a loud knock on the door.

"OI!" Ron's voice yelled. "Are you two going to come and eat? Kreacher has had dinner ready for fifteen minutes, but he won't let us eat without you two!"

Harry sighed against Ginny's lips, withdrawing his hand from her jeans, but keeping her held tightly against him. "Sometimes I hate that about Kreacher," he muttered.

Ginny grinned, kissing him quickly before jumping up and readjusting her jeans. "Come on, I'll be here for you to return the favor if you wish. We'd better go; I'd rather Ron catch us in what we were just doing than stand between him and his food," she said rolling her eyes.

Harry laughed and helped her with her shirt, pulling her tightly against him when it was replaced. "I love you," he whispered, kissing her softly.

Ron's fist pounded against the door. "Don't make me come in there! I swear to God…. I get enough of this from George and Angelina; I don't need you two to start as well!"

After supper, though Harry would have gladly returned to his room to continue the activities they had engaged in earlier, Ginny suddenly had other plans in mind.

"Will you fly with me?" She asked suddenly, her bright eyes lighting up even more. "It'll be good for me to get practice in before Thursday."

"What do you need practice for? You're brilliant! And I was never a keeper, so I'm not sure how much help I'll be," Harry said.

"Please? I just… I just want to play for a while, to keep my skills up," Ginny explained, making a sad face which caused Harry to give into her desire.

This became his routine for the next four days. He went to work during the day, and came home in the evenings to help her practice. Wednesday night he had to drag her in so she could get some sleep.

"Just another hour, I really think I could have made that last goal," She said as they walked back from the empty Rugby field that was near Grimmauld Place.

"Ginny," Harry replied, "You need sleep! You need to rest; you've been at this all week. You're going to be brilliant, don't worry."

When they got back to Grimmauld Place, Hermione and Ron were already asleep and they headed up to Harry's room. Ginny changed into her pajamas and began to pace, going over plays in her head as Harry watched from his spot on the bed.

"Will you come here, please?" he asked quietly.

She walked over and stood in front of him, still muttering under her breath the plays she was running in her head.

"Ginny, you need to relax," Harry said quietly, pulling her close to him and kissing her stomach.

"I can't relax. I'm so wound up, I'm so nervous!" she said. "I should have taken Hermione up on that offer to make me a sleeping potion."

Harry suddenly gripped her by the waist and pulled her down onto the bed. She was about to question what he was doing when he pressed his mouth to hers softly. As he kissed her, she began to relax into the pillow and her mind became blissfully blank. It wasn't long before he flicked his wand, dimming the lights and settled in beside her. He wrapped his arms around her and continued to plant kisses on her lips, her nose, her eyes, behind her ears…everywhere he could reach. He stroked her hair with one hand and kneaded the muscles in her back with the other.

Ginny yawned finally, smiling against his lips. "Cheater," she whispered, making him chuckle lightly before whispering, "I love you," as she fell asleep.

Harry left for work the next morning, but not without giving Ginny numerous kisses and encouragement. She stayed in his room for a while, but finally arose and wandered down the steps to see a large breakfast waiting for her, along with Hermione – still in pajamas – sitting at the table.

"Miss Ginny needs to eat," Kreacher's voice muttered when she stepped into the dining room. "Master Harry is talking about how nervous you is about Quidditch. Come, sit, and have some breakfast before you leave," he said as he gently shunted her into a chair and placed a plate of scrambled eggs, kippers and toast in front of her.

"Um… thank you, Kreacher," Ginny said with a confused smile. Hermione grinned fondly at the elf as he walked away.

"He was so concerned about you eating, it was quite amusing. And he let me help him cook!" she whispered excitedly. Ginny rolled her eyes and dug in, knowing that the elf was right in the fact that she needed food.

At eleven, she bid Hermione and Kreacher farewell and stepped outside to Apparate to Holyhead. She had passed her Apparition test in March, but hadn't used the method of travel frequently and was rather nervous she wouldn't end up in the right place.

Her fears turned out to be unfounded; when the crushing darkness ceased, she opened her eyes and stared at the tall green and gold entrance gates to the Harpies stadium. She took a deep breath, hitched Harry's Firebolt up higher on her shoulder, and walked inside.

Forty-five minutes later, Ginny was standing with a group of fifteen other women, all of whom looked much older than her. She was dressed in Quidditch gear and her stomach turned over nervously. Gwenog Jones stepped out in front of the crowd, her dark hair pulled back in a tight plait. Ginny noted how serious she looked as she examined the crowd, much different than the Gwenog she'd met twice previously.

"Thank you all for coming to try outs today," Gwenog said, looking out at the group. "Our team has two open spots on the roster, so many of you will be going home. We only accept the best, and expect that our players can sub multiple positions if needed. Do any of you have any questions before we begin?" she asked, glancing around as no one shook their head.

"Right, then. First, I want you to line up in formation, and we're going to audition for Chaser. Our keeper, Nadia Mclintock, will be blocking you. We'll start with the players on the left, line up and good luck," she said stepping off the field to observe.

Ginny watched the first few women take flight, some scoring goals, others not, but what she was watching for was the Keeper's technique. To her surprise, she noticed how much the keeper swerved and used her broom to block the Quaffle. _Just like Seamus_, she thought to herself. A smile spread across her face, having practiced with Seamus Finnegan for nine months, she knew exactly how to get past the keeper.

"Next!" Gwenog's voice called after a few more minutes.

Ginny mounted the Firebolt and kicked into the air, eyeing the keeper as she tossed her the Quaffle. _I've got this_, she thought to herself as she leaned forward into a swerve and tossed her first goal.

"Starter! I can't believe it! We missed out on having you on our team for three years!" George was shouting at his sister later that evening. "Why'd you hold out on us?"

"Well, I was a bit busy being possessed the first year, and shy the rest! Why'd you take the mickey out of me every time I _did_ try to fly?" Ginny shot back with a grin.

"Good point… more shots!" George yelled across the bar.

It was ten o'clock at night at night; Ginny had been selected to be the team's new Chaser and had been assigned to start during their first game of the season in September. George and Ron had insisted on going out to celebrate, so she wound up sitting in the Leaky Cauldron with Harry, Hermione, Angelina, and her two youngest brothers crowded around her. Everyone was delighted with her success, and the toasts went on through the night.

"I'm really glad you don't have to work tomorrow," she muttered to Harry as he walked her home. His arm was wrapped around her waist, half supporting her, as she walked.

"Why's that?" he asked, a trace of laughter in his voice.

"Because I have a feeling I'm going to need someone to take care of me," she replied, laying her head against him and shutting her eyes. The dizziness she felt from the Firewhiskey that George had pushed on her again and again had not faded; and although the buzz from the alcohol felt strangely good, she knew she would suffer in the morning.

"I'd say," Harry said, chuckling slightly as he hitched her up higher. "I can't believe George kept insisting you take all those shots."

"Well, given my family history, I should be able to handle it," she explained.

"Perhaps, but look at the size of you compared to him. You're tiny; that's just going to go right through you," he responded, shaking his head.

Ginny shrugged. "Maybe he was trying to help you out?"

"Help me out?"

"Yeah, if you want to get into my knickers, maybe he was trying to help you," she said in a cheeky voice.

Harry laughed. "I don't think so. Besides, when I get into your knickers, I want you completely sober," he said kissing her forehead softly.

Ginny had recovered from her celebration by the next afternoon, and the four of them ventured to the Burrow for a celebratory dinner with her parents. They discussed Ginny's success with much delight, and eventually the subject turned to Hermione's plans.

"I'm not sure what I'm going to do at this point," she said with a sigh after Mrs. Weasley had asked her. "Mum and dad would like me to come home, but I'm thinking of taking a few classes at the University and trying to find a job."

"That's an idea," Mrs. Weasley said. "Have you applied anywhere?"

"Not yet," Hermione said. "I haven't really had the chance, and I don't know where I'd begin," she confessed.

The next Monday, however, opportunity seemed to knock on her door as well. She had walked with Ron to work that morning to check out how his new product line was going, and after that had decided to drop in and see Harry's office, since she had never been there before. When she got inside, she immediately ran into Kingsley, who looked surprised, but very pleased to see her.

"Hermione!" he greeted, walking over and shaking her hand. "How are you? Heard back about your N.E.W.T's yet?"

"Not yet, Minister, I'm guessing sometime this week," She said returning the shake.

"Just call me Kingsley. I'm still not used to people I know calling me 'Minister'. It's a good thing I ran into you! It'll save Amos and I a letter. Do you have a moment, or did you have other plans?"

"No, I've got as much time as you need," Hermione said, a curious expression crossing her face.

"Good; come with me, then. I think I have something you'll be interested in," Kingsley said, ushering her forward toward the lifts. During the ride, they discussed her possible test scores, the classes she would be taking at the University in the fall, and Harry's promotion in the office.

"Lansing tells me that Ron is doing very well" Kingsley said as they stepped off the lift. "He wants to offer him a full time position, but he knows that Ron feels very drawn to helping George out at the moment."

"Yes, he is. But the shop is going really well, and if Angelina would take on his responsibilities, I can't see why he wouldn't join up," Hermione explained.

"Well, keep supporting him. He's doing great. Ah… here we are," Kingsley said, as he opened a door and let Hermione step inside. The office they were in was quiet, and to her surprise there was a Goblin at one desk and several house-elves running around. Hermione glanced around and was about to ask Kingsley where they were when he suddenly called out to her form a little ways away.

"Hermione, I'd like you to meet Amos Diggory. Amos, this is the brilliant young lady we talked about the other day who might be interested in the position you have open," Kingsley said as he placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

Hermione's breath hitched as the name registered with her – Amos Diggory, Cedric's father. She smiled as much as she could as the man approached. His hair was greyer than Hermione remembered; and his face was lined, but he had a good natured expression on his face that made her feel a little more at ease.

"Hermione Granger! Been a while since I've seen you, much taller now, aren't you?" Diggory said with a small smile on his face. Hermione chuckled lightly.

"Oh, you've met before?" Kingsley asked.

"Yes, yes, only briefly though," Diggory responded. "Arthur Weasley brought Ms. Granger to the Quidditch World Cup a few years ago with his children," he explained to Kingsley. Hermione vaguely registered the omission of Harry's name, but decided not to pay too much attention to it.

"Ah, I see. Well, Amos, why don't you tell Hermione a little bit about the position?"

"Right… right. Well, Ms. Granger, since the war has ended, and a number of Pure-blood families are now either in custody at Azkaban, or on the run since You-Know-Who is now gone, we have quite a number of displaced house-elves that we're not sure what to do with," Diggory explained. "A number of them have been assigned to St. Mungo's to help out with the patients, but the rest have just been wandering around here."

"Well, forgive me, Mr. Diggory, but if the house they are bound to has no more descendents, and their master is dead, aren't they free?" Hermione asked.

"In theory, yes, but it doesn't really work that way," Diggory explained gently. "You see, when house-elves were first discovered and domesticated –"

"They bred them to be docile, and to have the willingness to serve, I understand that," Hermione said cutting him off. She remembered the book Ron had gotten her for her birthday, and was rapidly recalling the facts she had read to argue her point. "But, now that they don't have to, can't they just have their own lives?"

Diggory smiled gently. "They can, but that urge for freedom has been bred out of them. They want to be bound to a family; they want people to love and to take care of. They're not unlike humans in that respect; I think we all search for companions in our lives, and their servitude to a family or a dwelling is their idea of companionship," he explained.

When Hermione thought of it in that context, it made a little more sense, but she was still confused by the issue. "Well, I'm sure that there are loads of families that would love to have a house-elf," she said, thinking of Molly Weasley and Andromeda Tonks. "Is there a reason they can't belong to one of them?"

"Well," Diggory said, stalling a little. "Since the war, and since Harry Potter rescued that house-elf-"

"Dobby," Hermione said, interrupting him again.

"Right, Dobby. Well, since that happened, many of them have realized that there are wizards who are kind and won't treat them badly. I'm sure you're aware; many of the house-elves from the Pure-blood families took quite a lot of abuse. Now they're wary of who takes them in; they want a family to serve, yes, but they also want to have rights and be able to report crimes and –"

"And why shouldn't they have rights and be able to report crimes?" Hermione asked, her temper flaring a little.

"Well, that's where you would come in!" Diggory said with a small chuckle. "And I think you'll be perfect. The position we have open is for a liaison between families who are wishing to adopt a house-elf, and the group of house-elves that are awaiting new families. Your responsibilities would include negotiating custody and placement of the house-elves, making sure that any newly established rules for ownership are followed, and investigate any claims of abuse or the like. Does this sound like something you'd be interested in, Ms. Granger?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Yes, yes of course I'd be interested. I… um, I apologize for coming off abrasively; it's just this is something I've become very passionate about. What are the other requirements?"

Diggory smiled, "If you've got a few minutes let's sit down and go over the details and fill out the necessary paperwork," he said guiding her over to a desk toward the back of the office.

*******

"Hermione, what are you doing here?" Harry asked in a startled voice.

Her curly hair whipped him in the face when she pulled him into a tight hug, throwing him slightly off balance. "You told Kingsley about S.P.E.W! He brought me down to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures and had me meet with Amos Diggory about a position they have as a House-Elf liaison!"

Harry regained his balance and looked at her curiously. "I didn't tell Kingsley about spew," he said in a confused voice.

"You didn't? How did he know about my interest in house-elf welfare? He and Diggory talked about me for that position specifically!"

"I mentioned you were looking for a job, and I might have mentioned that you were awfully concerned about Kreacher, but that was it. Did you get a job?" Harry asked.

"I did! I start next week!" she exclaimed excitedly. "I can't wait to tell Ron. And I'll be able to pay rent to you both and-"

"You're mental; you're not paying rent," Harry said waving her off. "You can help buy groceries if you want, but you're not paying rent. Neither is Ginny for that matter," he said as an afterthought.

"Well, either way, I'm heading off to the shop to tell Ron. I expect there will be more teasing about my house-elf obsession now," she said rolling her eyes when Harry laughed.

Ron did tease Hermione, but he was also extremely happy for her getting such a good position right out of school. The four of them celebrated that evening with dinner and a very long game of Exploding Snap before heading to bed.

"Well, when are they going to come stay with us?" Ron asked, once they had gotten into his room.

"Who?" Hermione responded.

"All the house-elves! Kreacher will love the company I bet – OW!" he said, laughing when she smacked him hard on the shoulder. "That hurt, I always forget how strong you are."

"That's your first mistake," Hermione teased as she sat down on his bed. She stared at Ron as he rubbed his arm lightly before taking off his shirt and toeing off his shoes. Hermione found herself slightly lost in her thoughts as she watched Ron; she vaguely wondered how many boxes he'd been lifting by hand as she watched the way the muscles of his arms, shoulders and chest flexed as he moved. He wasn't by any means extremely muscular, but he had become more toned over the past few months. The sight of him half-naked standing in front of her made the chill in the room dissipate slightly.

"Something interesting?"

"Huh?" Hermione responded, shaking her head slightly.

"You're staring," Ron explained with a light laugh. "Do I have something on me?"

"No… no, I was… I was just thinking," she said, blushing slightly.

Ron approached her, a curious expression on his face as he sat down beside her. He brushed the hair that was hanging in her eyes away, cupping her chin with his hand. "What were you thinking about?"

Hermione blushed more, she could feel the blood color her cheeks as Ron stared at her. A random conversation she had had with Ginny more than a week ago suddenly popped into her mind…

"_It's nerve wracking, yes, but I feel so much better now. I can't decide what I like more, what he does to me or knowing what I can do to him!" _Ginny had said when she confessed that her and Harry were not sleeping the afternoon they had arrived at Grimmauld Place.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, moving closer to her. "You look like Luna; your eyes are all out of focus. What's going on?"

Hermione smiled gently and stared at her hands, she began to twist her fingers nervously as her thoughts ran wild. "Could you… um… could you turn of the lamp?"

Ron's brow furrowed in curiosity as he glanced at her. "Sure…" he said in a confused tone. "Are you sleeping in your clothes? I was going to leave so you could change," He explained.

"Um… just um… turn off the lamp," she whispered. Ron grabbed his wand and flicked it, the light from the lantern dimmed so much so that she could only see shadow of him in front of her.

Mustering her courage, she stood slightly and moved in front of him. She placed her hands on his shoulders, tracing the planes of his chest with her fingers and watching his eyes close. She gently pushed him back and leant over him, letting her fingers run down his chest until they reached the top of his jeans, where they began to fiddle with the button that held them together.

"Um…" Ron muttered, setting up on his elbows, but she pressed a finger to his lips and kept at her task.

"Shh… If you talk, I might lose my nerve," she whispered, hoping not to sound too embarrassed. Ron tipped his head curiously, but let her continue. When she had undone the button and the zipper, she gently tugged his jeans down over his knees, pulling them off and placing them on the floor. Ron sat up suddenly and grabbed her by the hips, pulling her toward him and repeating the motions she had just made.

He said nothing, just traced light touches along her hips and thighs, and every so often he pressed his lips against the skin of her stomach, just above where her knickers were. He gripped her hips and pulled her down on top of him. As she settled into place, she could feel the hardness of his erection rubbing against the sensitive area between her legs. Ron lay back on his elbows again as she kissed him, groaning against her lips when she rocked her hips against the stiffness she felt. He moved one hand to her hip, gently tugging on the fabric of her underwear.

"Stop… stop," she whispered, grabbing his hand gently and guiding it above his head. Ron lay back fully and watched with curious eyes as Hermione moved up and lay along side of him. He angled his body so he was next to hers, confused as to what she was doing or what she wanted.

Hermione pressed her lips against Ron's, tracing them softly with her tongue as she slid one of her hands down his hip and toward the top of his boxers. He gasped when her hand squeezed him, leaning his forehead against hers and exhaling sharply.

Hermione let her hand encircle the stiffness she had ground herself against earlier, watching with fascination as Ron's cheeks colored and his eyes closed tightly. Irritated suddenly by the lack of light and the fact that she couldn't see what she was doing, she grabbed his wand from behind him and flicked it gently, the light in the room glowing a little brighter, but not full force.

"I thought you wanted me to turn off the light," Ron whispered, his voice husky and deep.

"I can't see," she whispered in return. She pulled his boxers down, freeing his erection from the confines of the fabric. She observed him curiously, fascination flooding her mind.

"Er… I feel a little awkward," Ron suddenly said. "Not that I want you to … s-s-s-stop…" he groaned as she grasped him gently and ran her thumb along the underside of his penis.

"Sorry… sorry," she muttered pulling her hand away.

Ron grasped her hand with his own and pulled her closer, groaning as he felt her warm palm encircle him and guiding her so she stroked him softly. "I don't … want you to stop… please," he muttered quietly.

She pressed her lips against his, allowing him to guide her movements for a minute before taking the initiative on her own. For several long minutes, she stroked him softly up and down, every so often pausing to trace her fingers over the tip and the underside of his penis, enjoying the sounds he made when she did so.

Curiosity overwhelmed Hermione again as she thought back to the conversation she had had so long ago with Fleur. She slid herself lower, pressing kisses along Ron's chest and stomach until she could see him fully. She pushed him so he lay on his back, observing the smoothness of him as she traced her fingers over the tip again. She watched for a few more moments as she gently stroked him, sitting up slightly so she could observe both her movements and his expression at the same time.

Ron's face was flushed, his eyes closed tightly and his lips parted as he breathed. She noted how he twisted the material of the bedclothes in one hand, and kept one hand firmly gripped against her hip. She gripped him tighter, watching in fascination as his back arched slightly and he thrust into her hand, a soft moan escaping his lips. Finally giving into her own intrigue, she lowered her head and placed her lips gently against the tip of his erection.

Ron's eyes shot open when he felt her lips against his penis, and when her warm tongue flicked out and accompanied the stroking of her hand, he groaned loudly. His fingers twisted in the sheets, his breath caught in his throat. The sensation of her touching him had been incredible, and now he felt as though he was coming apart at the seams. How long had he fantasized about her touching him, examining him, and suddenly the way she was staring at him earlier took on a whole new meaning.

"Hermione…s-s-st-t-ahhh," he groaned as he felt a warning tingle begin in his back. She moved away and brought her lips to his, kissing him fiercely as her soft hand wrapped back around the length of him and moved in rhythm with his thrusts. He groaned as the most amazing sensation rocked through his core, spreading through his body, out through his toes and fingertips. He was vaguely aware of warmth flowing across his stomach, but was more focused on the fact that his hands were now entangled in her hair. He sat up quickly, laying her on her back and positioning himself between her legs. He knew his boxers where crooked on his hips, but he didn't care, all he could think about was the feel of Hermione's warm skin against his; the warmth of her thighs as they squeezed his hips, the softness of her hands as one gripped the back of his neck and the other pressed into the small of his back, pulling him closer to her. Her kisses slowed, and she tipped her head back which allowed him access to her neck and collar bones. He meant to allow his head only a second of rest against her shoulder, but as soon as he lay down, the dizziness he'd been ignoring since his orgasm overcame him, and he closed his eyes.

"Bloody hell…. What… wow…. Just… give me a minute," he sputtered, tracing the lines of her knickers with his fingers.

Hermione chuckled and grasped his hand with hers, pulling it up to cup her face. "Don't worry, I'm tired now, and I expect you are too," she said, smiling and blushing.

"What prompted that?" Ron asked, allowing his body to relax against her.

"Well... now we're even," she said her face blushing even more. "And I was just… curious… I guess."

Ron leaned in and kissed her tenderly, cupping her face and brushing her cheekbones with his thumbs. "I love you… and your random curiosity," he said, chuckling lightly when she laughed at his words.

The next week, Hermione and Ginny received the results of their N.E.W.T. testing. Hermione had received perfect results, and Ginny was pleasantly surprised that she had received an Outstanding in all her subjects except Muggle Studies.

"What do I need that for? I'll just ask you if I have a question," she said to Hermione with a grin.

"You got Exceeds Expectations in it; you won't need to ask me anything," Hermione laughed.

June faded into July and brought with it Harry's nineteenth birthday, which was celebrated by the Weasleys over dinner, and a night out on the town courtesy of Tim. Ginny had to laugh that it was her turn to support Harry as they stumbled home from the Leaky Cauldron.

"Bloke likes his Firewhiskey," Tim teased as he walked with them.

"Only because that's all you gave him," Ginny said with a laugh.

Ginny's birthday arrived, and she flat out refused to accompany anyone to the pub for drinks. She started training the following day, and didn't want to be in poor condition during the first practice.

"I just made the team; I'll not be allowing you to replace my water with vodka again so I feel like dung tomorrow," she said to George when he whined about not going out. "Besides, I highly doubt Angelina wants you fondling her in front of us again," she reminded him. George blushed red and Angelina laughed hysterically at her comment.

The four residents of Grimmauld Place fell into a predictable routine once August had ended. Ginny trained with the Harpies Monday through Thursday, and she stayed in Holyhead at the team's dorms during those days. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all worked very typical Monday through Friday schedules, and Harry found himself very lonely during Ginny's absences.

"Could you guys … oh, I don't know… go to your room? Maybe? Since you have one?" Harry said with an exasperated sigh as he came home one Tuesday to find Hermione and Ron in a rather intimate moment on the couch.

"Sorry," they both muttered in embarrassed voices.

The Harpies played a match the third Saturday of every month, and Ginny was allowed free tickets for one person. They went to Harry, of course, but she had also managed to secure a few prime games for Ron and Hermione as well.

"I've got you tickets for the game against Puddlemere in October and the Cannons in November. We won't have a game over the holidays, but we'll play the Tornados in February so I'll try to get you some then," she explained when she returned one Friday with tickets.

"Brilliant," Ron said as he examined the contents of the envelope. "Thanks, Gin!"

Sunday afternoons were spent at The Burrow for a family dinner. Hermione's parents found themselves invited as well, and since they had settled into a small house in Somerset (about 10 kilometers from Ottery St. Catchpole), they didn't have far to travel. Hermione was greatly amused by Mr. Weasley's fondness for her father and appreciated Mrs. Weasley's kindness to her mother, who had become very accustomed to the magical world through their friendship.

December arrived, and Christmas plans began to take shape. George arrived late one afternoon at Grimmauld Place to find Ginny by herself.

"Where is everyone?" he asked looking around.

"Nice to see you, too," she said with a laugh. "Ron is at your shop, but Harry and Hermione are working late I expect. What's going on? You look all mischievous."

George grinned, and his cheeks flushed slightly. "Well, maybe it's good that it's just you. It'll be more of a secret that way."

"Not sure if I like the sound of you involving me in your little schemes," Ginny said, raising her eyebrows.

"It's not a scheme! I'm… well, here, take a look at this," replied George. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Ginny's eyes widened as she took it and opened it. Inside sat a brilliant diamond ring. The diamond was cut into a square shape which made it sparkle brilliantly, and there were little tiny stones set along the outside edge. It wasn't large, but it sparkled brightly as Ginny tilted it in her hand to examine all the different angles.

"Is this what I think it is?" she whispered, a broad smile crossed her face.

"What do you think it is?" George asked in an innocent tone of voice. Ginny lifted her head and made a face at George, who laughed in response to her expression. "Yes, it's an engagement ring, for Angelina."

"For Angelina? I thought it was going to be for someone else," Ginny replied sarcastically.

George laughed. "I'm going to ask her tomorrow night; over dinner," he explained.

"Well, I'm impressed, George. This is beautiful, she'll love it," Ginny said in a calm voice. She handed George back the ring, watching as he examined it before closing the box and putting it into his pocket. Suddenly Ginny was overwhelmed with excitement. "I can't believe you're going to get married!" she gushed, rising up on her toes and clapping her hands.

"Slow down there, she might say no," George replied.

"You git, she's not going to say no. Oh, mum is going to be so excited," Ginny said with a bright smile. But then she sighed heavily, and there was silence between her and George for a few minutes.

"Thinking about Fred?" George asked quietly. Ginny nodded, brushing a tear away with her fingertips. "Me too… especially when I bought the ring."

Silence passed between them for a few more minutes, until suddenly George reached out and pulled Ginny into a tight hug, thoughts of their lost brother and all the things he would miss in life crowding through both their minds.

"Who's going to be your best man?" Ginny asked, her voice tight with the strain of trying not to cry.

"Ron," George said simply.

Ginny laughed. "I can't wait to hear his speech," she replied making George chuckle lightly.


	27. Announcements

Announcements

"Small Hours" Rob Thomas

* * *

Ginny promised George she wouldn't tell anyone about his plans to propose to Angelina. He was going to announce their engagement over Christmas if she said yes.

"The whole family will be there; it'll save me trips to everyone's houses," he had explained.

It was the second Christmas after the war, and all the Weasleys and their partners gathered again at the Burrow to open gifts and have dinner. Simon and Jean Granger, Andromeda Tonks, and a toddling, very talkative Teddy Lupin were in attendance as well. Harry had been spending one or two days with the boy each week, and had become very fond of him as he watched him grow.

"He said my name the other day, that was pretty cool," he told Mrs. Weasley as they watched Teddy and Ginny play with toy cars.

"You can tell he loves you, Harry. You'll be such a good father someday," she said wistfully.

When Teddy lost interest in the cars, he sat next to Ginny and watched as she played chess with Ron. The child was greatly amused by the moving and talking pieces, though they were afraid of him each time he reached for them.

Ginny had lost both knights, one rook, and over half her pawns when she sighed heavily and muttered, "I never catch a break at this game." She stood up and stretched her arms over her head. "Harry, could you take over for me for a minute? My feet are cold and I want some socks." Harry squeezed her hand gently as she passed, watching as she wandered up the stairs.

"OI! She'll be pissed if you lose anymore of her pieces, so pay attention," Ron teased. Harry sat down and tried to focus on the game.

Ginny was halfway to her room when she heard a strange sound coming from hall. She paused and listened; it sounded like a low groan or a whimper, followed by the sounds of someone being sick. She followed the noise and found herself standing outside the bathroom. Curious as to what was going on, she pushed open the door slightly.

Her eyes widened as she took in the sight in front of her. Fleur was lying against the toilet with one arm draped over her eyes, her face pale and her body shaking slightly. Her long cornsilk-colored hair hung in her face, and her breathing was ragged as she tried to calm herself. As Ginny watched, Fleur became sick again and vomited into the toilet, groaning quietly.

"Fleur, are you all right?" She asked quietly, pushing the door shut behind her and moving in to pull her sister-in-law's hair back from her face. "What happened? I told mum that cheese dip shouldn't have been left out; how much did you eat? Do you want me to get Bill?" she offered, surprised by the caring tone of her voice. She had never been fond of Fleur, but after the last few years, she had grown to appreciate the fact that she _did_ love her brother, and had watched out for Harry, Ron, and Hermione during the war. Aside from that truth, Fleur looked so pitiful where she lay Ginny couldn't walk away without offering to help.

"No, no, Ginny, zat is all right," she sighed. "I am so sorry you have seen me like zis, I was hoping no one would find me. I didn't have any cheese, so it is not zat, don't worry," she tried to assure her.

"Can I get you anything?" Ginny offered.

"No, I don't want to trouble you. I'll be okay… in just a minute," Fleur told her before becoming sick again. Ginny pulled her long, silvery hair from her face and shook her head.

"Well, I'm going to get you some water. Just, uh…stay here," Ginny said. She dashed down stairs and got a glass of water, unnoticed by the people in the living and dining rooms, and returned to the bathroom to help Fleur.

"Here, drink this; it will at least get that feeling out of your mouth," Ginny suggested.

Fleur nodded and took the glass of water, drinking deeply. She sighed when she was finished, "Zhank you, Ginny. Zat helps."

"Are you sick? Maybe you should go home."

"No, I'm not sick. I'm… well, I jus…um," she stuttered. "Well, we are going to tell ze family today…I didn't mean for you to find me like zhis; it is most unpleasant, I am so sorry," she said again.

Ginny's eyes widened as she connected the dots within her head. "You're pregnant, aren't you?" she whispered.

Fleur looked at her, not saying a word. She just nodded her head, allowing a small smile to cross her face.

Excitement ran through Ginny like a shot of Firewhiskey. "Congratulations! That's exciting; how long have you known?" she asked, trying to keep her voice down.

"Since September. We wanted to wait to tell everyone, it seemed like ze right time at Chrizmaz. I have been so sick; zhat is why we haven't been around much," she explained.

"Mum is going to go nuts, just be prepared," Ginny said.

Fleur laughed gently. "Yes, Bill has prepared me for zhat. I'm hoping perhaps she will know how to help with ze sickness," she confessed.

"She'll know something, I'm sure," Ginny said.

There was a knock on the door, and Bill opened it slightly. "Fleur, are you all right?" he asked in a concerned voice, glancing from Ginny to his pale wife.

"Yes, yes, I am fine. Ginny brought me some water, I will be down in a minute," she said with a small smile.

Ginny stood and smiled at her again, she walked out the door past her brother, who eyed her curiously. "Hi Daddy," she teased. Bill smiled broadly as he went in to help his wife stand up and straighten herself out.

Ginny wandered downstairs, a small grin on her face as she thought of what was going to be announced at dinner; Bill and Fleur's pregnancy, and possibly, George and Angelina's engagement. She glanced over at her mom and Andromeda Tonks, playing with Teddy who was laughing as her mom vanished a washcloth from his hands again and again. It had been a long time since there had been any babies around, and it showed in how her mom fussed over Teddy and everything he did.

Fleur and Bill descended the stairs a few minutes later, pointedly keeping their eyes away from Ginny who fought hard to keep a grin off her face. She dared not approach Harry, knowing he would instantly sense something and start prying. She did notice him shoot her a few curious glances from across the room. She smiled and winked at him before busying herself adjusting the plates.

"Ginny, you look extremely happy about something," Her mother asked, watching as she flitted around the dining room, humming to herself. "You're awfully cheery," she said. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Ginny said with a shrug. "Just the Christmas spirit, I guess."

"Did the Christmas spirit bring you a gift that I don't know about?"

Ginny grinned, "No, mum. You know about all my gifts," she said with a smile.

"Hmm," Mrs. Weasley said, scrutinizing her carefully. She didn't have much time to discern anything, however, as the family began to crowd into the dining room as soon as food was removed from the oven.

Ginny took her seat next to Harry, still determinedly avoiding his gaze as she began to serve herself turkey, stuffing, and a plethora of side dishes. She watched as tiny conversations broke out amongst the group. Dinner seemed to pass slowly, and Harry kept nudging her, trying with his eyes to pry from her what she was grinning about, but she kept her lips sealed.

The plates had been cleared away; people were starting to become restless and talked of getting up and resuming their pre-dinner activities, when George stood and cleared his throat. Ginny wondered vaguely how much excitement her mom could take in one day as he began to speak.

"I have an announcement to make," he said in a proud voice. All eyes turned to him, Ginny could tell by the looks on every ones faces that they had no idea what was about to be announced.

"Angelina, here, has always been incredibly intelligent, and known for making well rounded decisions," he said formally, looking down at his girlfriend who rolled her eyes but grinned at his words. "Using those qualities, she has made the decision to accept an offer I presented to her a few days ago."

There was silence, Hermione gasped quietly, but no one seemed to notice. It was Ginny's father that finally broke the silence.

"Does this have something to do with the shop?" he asked curiously.

There were snickers of laugher from Ron and Harry as they waited for George - who betrayed not a flicker of laughter on his very serious face- to respond. "No, dad, it does not. Angelina has agreed to become my wife; we're going to be married." he said as she stood up beside him and interlaced her fingers with his, giving him a coy smile as he grinned broadly.

Silence again. This time it was broken by Mrs. Weasley's cry of excitement. "You… you're engaged? Oh, gracious! Oh, Georgie, Angie! That's wonderful!" she exclaimed, rising from her chair and moving to hug them both. Mr. Weasley repeated the same motion, clapping his son hard on the back and embracing them in a tight hug. The rest of the party watching clapped hands, Hermione was grinning broadly, as was Fleur. Ron wolf whistled and Harry laughed loudly. Percy and Charlie seemed a little shocked, but joined in the clapping with enthusiastic yells after a few moments.

"Oh, goodness! That's so exciting! Congratulations you two!" Mrs. Weasley said as she returned to her seat. "Oh! Well, now, that explains your cheery mood earlier, Ginny. You were holding out on me," her mother said with a teasing wink.

Ginny laughed loudly as she looked at Bill and Fleur, who looked both excited and nervous. "Um… yes, mum, I was holding out on you about that," she replied simply.

There was excited chatter for a few more minutes, but Ginny looked pointedly at Bill and Fleur. She watched Fleur whisper, "Should we do it now?" to Bill. Bill looked around at the group. "I don't know… I hate to steal George's thunder," he said, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

Ginny cleared her throat, grabbing their attention. "I do believe that George's life has been full of thunder, you're not stealing anything," she said winking at them both. Harry looked at her curiously, but she just smiled at him and sat back in her chair to watch the next announcement.

A few more moments passed, and when it became quiet again, Bill cleared his throat. "George, Angie, congratulations! It's going to be hard to follow on the heels of that," he said chuckling lightly. "Um…we…er, Fleur and I have something to say. We've been waiting for a while to tell you all this, and now seems like a good time," he started. Ginny watched with a small grin on her face as her eldest brother's face began to redden.

"What is it dear?" Mrs. Weasley said as a hush fell over the table.

Bill and Fleur looked at each other. He squeezed her hand and she smiled gently as she stood up, Ginny noticing for the first time how her lower stomach was starting to round slightly. "Bill and I are going to have a baby," she announced, her cheeks flushing with color.

There was another pause. Then suddenly Mrs. Weasley leapt to her feet and shrieked again! "You're… you're pregnant?" she stuttered. Fleur nodded, flashing her a brilliant smile as she squeezed Bill's hand. Mrs. Weasley ran over to where they sat and threw her arms around them both. "Oh, my goodness! That's wonderful! Oh, I'm just so excited, this is too much!" She exclaimed as she squeezed Fleur tightly and kissed Bill on the cheek. "Oh, my heart may give out with all this news! This is amazing, how long have you known? Oh, Fleur I knew something was different, you are just glowing!"

Ginny laughed out loud as her mother began to ramble and fuss over them, wiping tears away from her cheeks in between her flustered sentences. She glanced down the table at her father, who still sat somewhat stunned.

"Dad?" She asked.

As if her words suddenly brought him back to his surroundings, Mr. Weasley smiled broadly and also got to his feet to approach his son and daughter-in-law. Charlie and Percy clapped again, and both Ron and George wolf whistled as Harry joined in the shouting. Hermione, Angelina, and Andromeda beamed in Fleur's direction and Mr. and Mrs. Granger smiled broadly, looking slightly bemused by all that was happening around them. Teddy's reaction was the most amusing of all, though. As the noise level grew loud again, he clapped his hands over his ears and yelled, "Loud!" making them all laugh even harder.

The commotion over the two huge announcements seemed to carry on throughout clean up and into the night. Ginny was standing washing dishes when Fleur approached her quietly.

"It was so hard to follow George and Angelina, how wonderful for them. But, zhank you for not mentioning our news as well," she said giving her a one armed hug.

"Of course; that's your news, I wouldn't have said a word," she replied, patting Fleur on the back.

"Um, will you help me with somezing?"

"Sure," Ginny said, slightly surprised. Fleur smiled, and led her over to where Mrs. Weasely was putting away dishes.

"Fleur, dear, don't you worry about anything. Why don't you go have a seat? Put your feet up," Mrs. Weasley suggested, placing her hands on Fleur's shoulders and patting them gently.

"I zhink I will, but um…I was wondering perhaps…well, I've been…um," Fleur sputtered. Ginny suddenly realized why she wanted help.

"Mum, she's been sick, really sick, from the baby. Do you know of anything that will help?" Ginny supplied. Fleur looked at her in thanks. Ginny chuckled slightly, wondering why it was so hard for Fleur to admit she was ill.

"Oh, of course! You poor dear. I was sick with Bill too, you know, but only for a few months. Hopefully it will pass for you, here have a seat and I'll whip you up a simple potion that will help," Mrs. Weasley said. She begun to dig out her cauldron and ingredients and set to work. Ginny wandered away letting them talk, she was sure Fleur would need to remember the recipe for the potion, so she would be able to make it at home.

Everyone had buried themselves in chatter or other activities, Ginny found herself standing in the doorway staring out at the clear night sky and the moon reflecting off the snow. She felt long arms suddenly snake around her waist and smiled as Harry's chin rested on her shoulder.

"So, how did you know?"

"Know what?"

"About Bill and Fleur."

Ginny turned around and put her hands on Harry's shoulders. "I actually found her getting sick earlier, it didn't take long to figure it out."

"Ahh…pleasant," Harry said, cringing slightly.

"Oh, she can't help it. Toughen up, you're supposed to be an Auror," she teased. Harry laughed before kissing her gently. Ginny lay her head against Harry's chest, sighing deeply as he hugged her.

The evening carried on and slowly people began to return to their homes. Bill and Fleur left first, followed shortly thereafter by Andromeda and Teddy, but not before Teddy had spent fifteen minutes babbling about his toy broomstick Harry had gotten for him so many months ago. He'd finally figured out how to use it and was anxious for it to become warm again.

"Is happa, is happa, an go ouside, an go fying. I gos wif you, gos fying an gos fas," he said, pointing at the window excitedly. Harry laughed and nodded his head. "Yes, we'll go flying when it's nice outside."

Ginny stepped over to give Teddy a hug, and he put his little hand against her face. "Inny," Teddy said looking at her. Ginny smiled broadly, it was the first time Teddy had any one's name other than Harry's. "Inny, gos fying? Gos fying wif Haawy? Mynie? Gos fying? Won, gos fying?" the little boy asked looking around at everyone in the kitchen.

Ron chuckled. "Sure, little guy, we'll go flying," he said with a grin as he squeezed Hermione tighter. She had let out a little squeak of happiness when Teddy had said her name.

"Alright, little man," Andromeda said with a laugh. "You'll go flying with them all when it's warmer. We need to get home now," Andromeda said as she scooped him off the floor.

"I no sweep. I no sweep, gamma!" Teddy said in a whiny voice as his eyes became teary. They all reassured him that they would see him soon and waved by to him as they walked out the door and vanished into the night.

Harry and Ginny returned to Grimmauld Place soon after, but Ron and Hermione stayed behind talking with her parents and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley about various things. Mr. Granger and Mr. Weasley were out in his shed full of Muggle artifacts he had collected over the years, examining the motorcycle that had belonged to Sirius Black and other collections he had questions about. His wife remained inside with Mrs. Weasley, Ron, and Hermione, who were all sitting around the living room talking quietly.

"Quite an evening you two had," Jean Granger said to Mrs. Weasley as she brought them two cups of tea. "An engagement and a baby all in one night!"

"Good gracious, yes," Molly replied. "I just can't believe it! Did you two know anything about George and Angelina's plans?" she asked looking toward Ron and Hermione.

"No, we didn't know anything," Ron said shaking his head. "Though, I guessed it wouldn't be soon since they're living together, but still surprising."

"Oh, and the baby! I just can't wait. I think I am definitely ready to be a grandmother, the spoiling will be my favorite part," she said as they all laughed. "Hermione, you've never seen any photos of Ron as a baby! Here, just let me-"

"Mum," Ron groaned, his face flooding with color. "Don't drag out the baby pictures. They don't-"

"'They don't' nothing, Ron!" Hermione said with a big smile. "I want to see, I've never seen wizard pictures of children other than that half-photo Harry has of himself."

"'Wizard pictures'?" Hermione's mom asked curiously.

"The pictures move, mom, remember? I had that one of Ron, Harry, and I after our first year in my room," she explained.

"Oh, I had forgotten about that. Yes, I want to see these as well. I'm sure you were adorable, Ron," Jean said with a teasing wink. Hermione laughed as Ron blushed even brighter.

"Here we are," Molly said as she laid a large book out on the table. "This is Ron, just a few days after he was born," she said gesturing to the photo of a small bundle wrapped in a blanket. It could have been any baby, accept for the tell-tale tuft of red hair that crowned his head.

"And this is him at about a year and a half old. He had just started walking, spent most of the time chasing after all his brothers, poor boy. And here he is with Ginny, when she was born. Good gracious, I can't believe I let your hair get that long, Ron. Oh, this is when you had that crush on a Muggle girl from the village, you made her a card, and it was so cute. Stop fussing, Ron, it's sweet," Mrs. Weasley said giving him a shove as he groaned again.

Hermione couldn't help but laugh as she observed all the pictures that Molly had referenced. A tiny Ron, standing up along-side a chair, his blue eyes bright as he laughed. Ron, a bit taller, running through the picture chasing after a pair of older boys who were holding blocks. Ron holding a tiny bundle in his arms, placing a kiss on the baby's forehead. Ron holding up a handmade card, a look of pride on his face.

"When is this from?" Hermione asked, pointing to a picture of Ron leaning out over the edge of a balcony, eyeing the scene in front of him.

"That was when we went to Egypt," Mrs. Weasley said examining the picture. "Oh! And here are a few from Bill's and Fleur's wedding; I had forgotten we took these in the aftermath of everything that happened," she said, pointing to a group of pictures on the next page.

Hermione and her mother tilted their heads to examine the group of photos. Ron standing in dress robes out in front of the burrow, a sheepish grin on his face. Harry and Ron standing together smiling, Harry was holding a flask of Polyjuice potion in his hand. There was one picture that caught Hermione's attention in particular. It was one where she stood far away from the camera, but Ron was closer. His eyes were focused on her figure in the lilac dress she had wore, a smile played on his lips as he stared. She looked up at him and grinned, watching him blush furiously.

"All right, enough with the pictures. Mrs. Granger, can I have payback and see some pictures of Hermione next time we visit?" He asked turning towards where Jean sat.

"You don't have to wait till then, I've actually got a few with me," she said, pulling out her purse and digging through it to extract a small album.

"Mum, when did you get this?"

"She got it after we moved home and you brought our boxes back," her father suddenly explained as he and Mr. Weasley stepped through the door. "She was going to put pictures of you in her purse at all times so she would never forget you again," her father teased as they stepped over to where the group sat.

It was Ron's turn to laugh as Hermione blushed. Her dad patted her on the head as he walked over to sit down beside his wife.

"Ah, muggle pictures! They don't move, I've always been so curious to see," Arthur Weasley said excitedly as he walked over. "Goodness, they don't move do they? That is so strange!"

"Yes, Arthur, we understand," Molly said rolling her eyes. "This is Hermione, then?" she asked pointing to the first picture in the group: a little girl in a frilly blue dress was laid against a white pillow; her tiny hands in fists as she slept lazily.

"Yes, that was when she was about two weeks old," Jean said with a smile.

"You had no hair!" Ron exclaimed, making everyone laugh.

"No, she didn't, it was quite some time before it came in," Hermione's father responded. "We wondered if it ever would."

"Yes, then it did finally, and it was like she grew a mane over night. Here, look," she said indicating a series of pictures toward the left side of the page. Hermione standing next to a chair, smiling a toothless grin at the camera. Hermione crawling along the floor, jumping in her crib, laying on her back laughing. Throughout the series of pictures, they could see her hair grow thicker and thicker until Jean turned the page.

"Why don't you ware your hair like that anymore, Hermione?" Ron asked, struggling to hold in his giggles. She shoved him away from her, trying not to laugh herself. The picture was of her standing in a kitchen, dressed in a pink jumper and jeans and her hair was a mess of curls around her head.

"It was so unmanageable," Jean said fondly.

"It still is," Hermione chimed in.

"But look at those curls!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "I've always thought you have such beautiful hair, Hermione."

"She does," Ron coined in, making Hermione blush even brighter.

"Here is when we went to Diagon Alley the first time," Hermione said, drawing their attention back to the album. She stood in front of Ollivander's shop, holding up the box that contained her wand and grinning broadly.

"Was it hard for you two, when you realized she was a witch?" Molly asked Jean quietly.

"Actually, it was a bit of a relief. It explained so much," she said with a sigh.

"How so?" Arthur asked as he took a seat next to his wife.

"Well, we knew there was something different about her at a young age. She would arrange her toys or her blocks in absolutely impossible formations, and every now and then we'd find her crying because one of her toys had somehow gotten on a shelf that she couldn't have possibly reached on her own," Hermione's father explained.

"Then as you got older," Jean said, addressing her daughter, "you would become angry or upset about something, and if there was any glass around you it would shatter; and whenever you were sick, we had such a hard time getting medicine into you if you didn't want to take it. It would disappear out of the container. If you were happy about anything, things would fly across the room. There was one time; you were extremely upset over something that had happened at school. And we were trying to talk to you about it and the chairs at the table … all the legs broke off and everything crashed to the ground. It was rather frightening at times," she confessed.

"I remember that. Morgan Maxwell had cut my hair during class, and everyone was teasing me. I forgot how scary that was when we didn't know what was going on," Hermione confessed.

"I never thought about it from that angle," Mrs. Weasley said. "It was just par for the course for things like that to happen around our house. But, of course, we knew the reasons."

"How do you all know when someone from the outside has a child who is magical?" Simon asked Arthur and Molly.

"It's monitored by the Ministry. The Department of Mysteries works in conjunction to with the Improper Use of Magic office. You see, whenever someone performs magic, it creates a disturbance. Now, in the case of children born to witches and wizards, this disturbance is expected so it comes as no surprise. But when a child with magical abilities is born in the Muggle world, they usually have someone investigate to see the cause. If it turns out that the child is a witch or wizard, their name is put down on a list to contact their parents when they turn of age to attend school," Arthur explained.

"Have they ever thought about contacting the families prior to the child reaching school age?" Hermione asked.

Arthur and Molly looked at each other. "I'm guessing not, to keep the Statute of Secrecy intact they wouldn't be able too. 'Course, that's all thrown out the window when the child attends school."

"Not really," Simon said. "When we were visited – was it Professor McGonnagall who came?" he asked, watching as Hermione nodded. "When we were told about Hermione's abilities and what all those things meant, they talked us through the use of owls to deliver the mail and explained that she'd be at boarding school. But other than explaining she was not allowed to use magic over the holidays, we weren't told much else."

"We didn't even know where the castle was located. We knew we could write to her through the owl post when she sent to us, but we weren't sure of the structure of school, what kind of things she'd be studying, or what her career options would be once she finished," Jean added in. "Everyone was friendly enough, but there are still so many things about your world that confuse us to no end."

Arthur and Molly considered this, as did Ron as he interlaced his fingers through Hermione's. "What kind of information would help make the transition easier? We can take it to the proper channels, maybe get some things changed to make lives easier for the parents of Muggle-borns," Hermione said.

Her parents nodded, and began to think about all the things they would have liked to have known while she was in school and even now about what her life was going to be. Arthur was in his element, communication between Muggles and Wizards was something he was passionate about, and even Molly was writing things down that they could take to the head of the offices within the Ministry. Hermione smiled at Ron, who squeezed her hand tightly before lifting it to kiss the inside of her wrist.

*******

A few weeks later, Hermione was in the back corner of her office talking with two house-elves about potential families that were looking for servants.

"This family is expecting their first child next May, and I'm guessing they will probably have more, so that's something to think about when deciding if you want to enter into an agreement with them. I know them personally; they will be very kind and easy to please. And the other one, that I think you will be interested in, Maxey, is an elderly couple who live on the outside of London. They need assistance with their daily activities such as cooking and cleaning and the like. They have two grandchildren who visit frequently, and their daughter and son-in-law would be taking ownership of their properties, including yourselves, should you decide to stay with them," Hermione explained, showing the elves folders of the intake interview she had conducted with each of the families.

Her co-workers thought her silly for making such a fuss, but the house-elves who were in her charge were forever grateful and in awe of the fact that she was a friend of Harry Potter, defender of house-elves.

"Miss Hermione? Poppie is loving babies; I is never getting to be around babies at my old house," the smaller of the two elves she was addressing said. The female elf wore a tiny pink dress, and had ears that flopped over her shoulders like pigtails. "Poppie would like very much to meet this family."

Hermione smiled, "I thought you would. I'll send them an owl to let them know and you should be able to go out there tomorrow, will that be all right?"

"Oh, yes, that is making Poppie very happy. You is too good to help us find homes, Miss Hermione. Thank you, thank you, for being so kind to Poppie," the elf squeaked, her eyes widening and glistening over.

"I just want you to be happy. Off you go now, you'd better get your things packed," she said, smiling as the little elf bowed and took off out the door. "What about you, Maxey, would this family be of interest to you, or are you happy right now with the Department of Mysteries?"

The little elf called Maxey twisted his fingers and looked slightly nervous. Hermione had found out through her discussions with all of them that he had belonged to Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, and was abandoned after the war when Rodolphus never returned home.

"Maxey is interested in the family, yes, but what if Master Rodolphus comes home?" Maxey asked, fear leaking into his expression. "Maxey is bound to the family as long as they live, what must Maxey do if they is coming home?"

"Maxey, would you want to go home to Master Rodolphus if he came back?" Hermione asked in a gentle voice. The elf shook his head vigorously, but then moved to smack himself in the face. Hermione caught his hand and placed it back by his side. "Don't worry. The enchantment you were under that bound you the Lestrange estate was broken by our investigative unit. They have no claim on you now, you are as good as free. If you are interested in visiting the Richards, I can set you up a visit with them to see how you feel about their home. How does that sound?"

The elf swallowed, and nodded his head slowly. "Maxey would like that. Maxey longs to have a family to look after," he said.

"Well, you'd better get your things together as well. I'll send Cynthia and Thomas a note to let them know you'll be coming. You can see how you feel about things and then we'll finalize the agreements at your check-in visit. Sound good?"

"Yes, thank you, Miss Hermione. I is telling all the other house-elves how you are the kindest witch I is ever meeting. Thank you," the elf responded, bowing low before turning and exiting the office.

"You've got your own little fan club going, don't you?" Kingsley Shacklebolt's low voice said suddenly from the edge of Hermione's door.

"Kingsley, how are you?" Hermione said, standing up and rearranging some papers on her desk. "I wouldn't say fan club, I'm just so glad we've gotten so many of them placed."

"It's going well; Amos is very pleased with you. And that law you proposed was brilliant, well done," Kingsley praised. Hermione beamed; she had written a proposal to ban ownership of house-elves by families who had been or were associated with the Death Eaters, and also allowed the creatures to report abuse without consequence should they be suffering in anyway. Hermione had also added in that the elves would automatically be granted a share in a family's estate, should their owners pass away and they had no other family to serve. This would help them to at least feed and take care of themselves until they could be placed with another family.

"Thank you, Kingsley. That means a lot to me. I'm so glad it passed, it's making things much less stressful for the ones who don't want to return home if their masters come back," she said thinking of Maxey. "Anyway, I wasn't expecting to see you. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Actually, yes, or more so it's something your parents could help me with," Kingsley said gesturing to her chair and taking a seat himself. "Arthur visited me a few days ago and told me briefly about the conversation he and Molly had with your parents over the holidays. I've spoken with several members of my staff and were wondering if it would be beneficial to have a discussion with a few of the families of muggle-borns to see if had similar experiences. It would make sense if we could prevent the confusion and stress that families of Muggle-borns go through from happening, and it would also be beneficial for the families of students and the rest of us to understand how we must appear to the outside," Kingsley said. "Would your parents be opposed to sharing their experience?"

Hermione considered this idea for a moment. "Yes, I can talk to them. Would they be the only ones involved?"

"No, of course not. I've asked Arthur to head up the committee, and we've asked the families of several other Muggle-borns to attend as well. Dennis Creevy's parents agreed and we're contacting a few other families today," Kingsley explained.

"I'll talk with my parents then. I think this is a good idea; it would be easier on the families if they had at least a little understanding of what was happening," Hermione said.

"It's settled then. I may ask for your input on any decrees or new rules we put forth. I know you're incredibly busy, but you also have very valuable opinions and experiences we can use," Kingsley said.

"I'll be delighted to help," Hermione said with a grin. She shook hands with Kingsley and watched him leave, thinking to herself about how her parents would finally be incorporated into her world in a way they could finally feel useful instead of a hindrance to her.


	28. Bonding

Bonding

"Small Hours" Rob Thomas

* * *

"_Minster of Magic endorses Muggle-born family protection act._

_Minster of Magic, Kinglsey Shacklebolt, has approved the Muggle-born Family Protection Act that was proposed not even a fortnight ago by the newly formed Muggle-born Advocacy Council. The act provides not only protection for the families of Muggle-born witches and wizards during times of war, but provides them with more insight into early life with their magical children and the inner workings of wizard society once their children have left Hogwarts._

"'_Our goal is to make entry into the magical world easier for both parents of muggle-born children, and the children themselves. By providing insight as to what to expect during their youth, muggle families of magical children can act accordingly and seek help when needed. This will allow better placement in the magical world after they have completed school, and make it easier to for families to stay in contact,' Minster Shacklebolt commented upon signing the law._

"_When asked about protection for the families of Muggle-borns, the minster stated that in the event of another war or rise of prejudice against Muggle-borns, the families would be advised of the situation, and be offered to move to a place where another wizarding family could offer them some protection._

"'_There are plenty of families that have agreed to be part of the Advocacy Council and would be glad to act as host families to Muggles in the event of further attacks or things of that nature,' said Arthur Weasley, co-chair of the newly formed council._

"_Though a majority of the Wizengamot supported the bill and the public at large seems to agree with it, there is still some question of if it is wise to embrace Muggle families into our society so quickly._

"'_It defies the statute of secrecy! We've always separated ourselves from Muggles because our ways are so different than theirs. How long will it be before they're asking us to predict weather patterns or fix their common problems with magic?" asked Felicity Heckleborg, who works in the office of Magical Law Enforcement._

"_Though the Minster and the Council have assured us that the act does not breach the statute of secrecy, there is obviously still some doubt from within the ministry itself about whether this is the appropriate course of action. Time, it seems, will have to pass before we can truly measure the results of this step."_

"Well, of course there's going to be dissonance from a few, but this is a wonderful step in the right direction," Mrs. Weasley said as she finished reading the article in the prophet. She sat in the kitchen of the Burrow with Hermione and Jean Granger discussing the passing of the law.

"Have you gotten many complaints since this came out?" Jean asked her daughter.

"I haven't been up to the law offices lately; I've been so busy with the house-elves. But Ron and Harry told me that the office was flooded with owls when it was first proposed, but now it seems to have slowed down a bit," she explained.

"When do you think that Ron will decide to join the Auror office full time?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "He never talks to us about it; he just says he wants to stay on and help George as long as he can."

Hermione sighed, "I think he's still nervous, he feels like he's so far behind the others but really he's not. Harry constantly talks about how quick he is and I know he's doing great with his spell advancement. But, I haven't tried to push him either way; he's happy right now, and that's all that matters," she said with a smile.

It was true, Ron was happy with both his jobs. Monday through Thursday mornings he worked in the shop and went to the Ministry in the afternoon to train with Harry and Tim in advanced Defense tactics and Sabrina in tracking. Fridays he spent all day in the Auror office getting used to the procedures and taking part in the hunt for the remaining Death Eaters. He knew that he would be moving to a full time Auror at some point, but enjoyed the extra money he earned from the shop and began to put some aside each pay period for several things.

Early on a Friday morning in late April, Ginny was sitting in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place composing a letter to Luna, who was abroad in Scandinavia searching for her fantastic creatures. She had expected to be alone for quite some time, and was surprised when the door opened and Ron walked into the hallway.

"You're home early," Ginny said as he walked toward where she sat, glancing nervously around the room. "Something wrong?"

"Hermione here?"

"No, she's at work… which is where I figured you'd be," Ginny said curiously. "What's going on?"

Ron glanced around the room again, making sure they were alone. "I took the day off work," he explained as Ginny eyed him quizzically. Ron sat down and inhaled deeply before reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a small black velvet box. Ginny didn't have to open it to know what was inside.

"Well, well," she said with a grin. "Your two jobs are buying a gift, are they?"

"Look at it," Ron said, his tone rather demanding.

Ginny took the box and opened it, her eyes widening at the ring inside. The single diamond solitaire was oval shaped, and on each side was small sapphire embedded into the gold band. "This is gorgeous, Ron; well done," Ginny smiled.

"Do you think she'll like it? I spent hours looking at them and this was the only one that seemed to fit. I've been thinking about this for months and it just-"

"Ron," Ginny said, holding up a hand to stop his sputtering, "Hermione will love this. She's going to be thrilled," she paused to continue examining the ring. "Merlin's beard, I can't believe George is getting married and now you too! This is just crazy… I feel old," she said, grinning as Ron chuckled.

"Yes, you're a right old maid, you are," Ron replied, taking the box from her and gazing fondly at the ring he had bought.

"Have you thought about how you're going to ask her?"

"Actually, I was hoping you could help me," he said. "I keep waiting for something significant. I'm thinking about the anniversary of the battle this year. It was sort of when we first got together. Or, I was thinking about waiting until August, which was the first time I told her I loved her. Or-"

His ideas were suddenly interrupted by the door opening and footsteps entering the hall. Ginny jumped to her feet and ran into the Hallway to intercept whoever it was while Ron stowed the ring away in his pocket.

"It's just Harry," Ginny called in a relieved voice as she wandered back into view. Harry followed a few seconds later, a confused look on his face.

"It's just me? Were you expecting someone grander?" Harry asked with a smirk.

"We were worried you were Hermione," Ginny explained as she sat back down at the table.

"Well, she'll be coming any minute; all three of us got letters from Kingsley today," Harry said as he handed Ron an envelope. Ron glanced at it curiously before moving his finger to the opening. "Don't open it yet," Harry said. "I think Hermione wants us to wait."

"All right," Ron said as he shook it. "What do you think it is?"

"No idea," Harry said. "He did tell me that after my testimony last month in front of the Wizengamot that Professor Snape was awarded a full pardon, and they're going to be presenting him and several others posthumous awards at a Ceremony on the sixth of May at Hogwarts."

Ron nodded, still glancing at the envelope curiously. The door opened and shut again; this time it really was Hermione, who walked through the hall toward where Ron, Harry, and Ginny were standing.

"Okay, open them," she said, sliding her finger along the edge of the letter and watching as Harry and Ron repeated the same motions.

Ginny stood watching as the three of them silently read their letters, each of their eyes widening slightly in response to what was written. "What? What is it? What do they say?" she asked, tugging at Harry's wrist so he would turn the letter to face her.

"We've each been awarded the Order of Merlin, first class," Ron muttered.

Ginny gasped and clasped her hands over her mouth; she leaned closer to Harry to read his letter fully.

"_To Mr. Harry James Potter,_

_The Wizengamot Court met on the thirty-first of March regarding your continued efforts against the Dark Arts and the role you played in the Second Wizarding War against Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. Your efforts have been valiant, brave, and deserve the respect of the Wizarding community. Therefore, we have awarded you with the Order of Merlin, First Class._

"_A ceremony marking the second Anniversary of the end of the war will be held on the Sixth of May, Two-Thousand, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Your presence at this event is requested to accept the award. There will hors d'oeuvres and drinks through the evening after the presentation, and you are allowed to bring a guest._

"_Please respond and confirm if you will be attending the ceremony by the fifteenth of April. Should you be unable to attend, we can make other arrangements to ensure you receive your award._

_Thank you for your continuing efforts to encourage peace, and bring safety back to our community._

_Sincerely Yours,_

_Chauncy Lockwood  
Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot_  
_Ignorantia juris neminem excusat"_

"This is amazing!" Ginny cried, pulling Harry into a tight hug. She felt his arm wrap around her waist softly, but noted the look of shock still on his face. "Don't tell me you don't think you deserve it?"

"No… that's not it. I just… I told Kingsley we didn't need anything," Harry muttered.

"Well, the Wizengamot seems to think otherwise," Ginny said, taking his face in her hands and forcing him to look into her eyes. "This is a good thing, Harry. You deserve this," she said. He smiled slightly at her, and nodded in agreement at last.

Hermione remained speechless until Ron nudged her and asked for her thoughts. "I just can't believe this; I can't believe they're giving us all one," she said.

"You two did just as much as I did," Harry said.

"Not really," Ron said, glancing at his letter again. "We just-"

"Oh, come off it, all of you," Ginny said, shoving Ron and causing him to teeter on his feet. "This is great! You all deserve it, so just shut up with the humbleness and enjoy it. How are they managing the party at Hogwarts in May? School doesn't get out until June." Ginny asked, glancing at the letter again.

"Dunno, maybe Percy would know; he's involved in the committee to plan big events like this," Ron said.

"We'll ask him on Sunday," Ginny said. She stared around at the three of them as they stood in shock. "Really? Guys come on, liven up a bit! If you don't want the award I'll take it," she said, causing them all to laugh lightly and smile finally at their achievement.

Sunday at the Burrow was an exciting dinner, for more than just the announcement regarding the Order of Merlin for Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Mum and Dad got a letter, too," George told them when they arrived. "But they're more on about you three getting the recognition then their own awards," he explained.

"Did they get first class?" Ginny asked, watching George nod. "Mum!" she called across the kitchen, "Why didn't you tell us you and Dad got the Order of Merlin?"

"Well, it's more important that Harry, Ron, and Hermione got it; they did so much work and went through so much. Of course your father and I are thrilled, but we didn't do that much did we?  
We just –"

"What is it with everyone and this damn humility?" Ginny asked in an exasperated tone. "You did loads! You were part of the Order, Dad was attacked by that snake while on a mission, and now he's formed a committee to help Muggle-born parents get used to our world… You killed Bellatrix Lestrange for crying out loud!" she said.

"Don't mention her name," her mother responded sternly. "And yes, your father has done wonderful things. It's just such a shock I suppose…"

Ginny rolled her eyes and wandered into the living room where Bill and Fleur were sitting. Bill was talking with Harry, Ron, Percy, and George about when Charlie was arriving and where everyone would stay for the party. Fleur was absent mindedly rubbing her growing belly while talking to Angelina. It had been at least a month since Ginny had seen Fleur, and her belly was now the size of a small watermelon.

"You've got a little over a month left," Ginny said, moving beside her sister-in-law and sitting down. "How are you feeling?"

Fleur sighed. "I am very tired now. Eet was great after the sickness was gone, and for a few months I was felt wonderful. My hair was growing fast and my nails… now I just feel like an overlarge stuffed ham," she said with a chuckle.

Ginny laughed. "You're not that big. It'll be over soon," she said in a consoling voice.

Hermione wandered over and joined them. "I've been watching your shirt move," she said with a smile.

"Yes, she is so active; it feelz like she is kicking me all ze time," Fleur said with a small laugh.

"So you definitely know it's a girl?" Angelina asked.

"No, but I zhink it is. Bill zhinks it is too, but my muzzer and Molly both zhink it's a boy," Fleur explained.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

Fleur rolled her eyes. "'You are carrying low' 'Oh, fast growing nails mean it's a boy!' Zat and boys tend to run in your family, do they not, Ginny?"

"That's the understatement o f the decade," Ginny said glancing over at her five brothers. The girls all chuckled loudly until Fleur gasped sharply and sat up.

Bill whipped around so fast it appeared he cricked his neck. "Are you all right? Does something hurt?" he asked, moving to kneel next to where Fleur sat and tracing his hands over her stomach.

"No… no, I am fine. Just ze Braxton-hicks… and she just moved and kicked my ribz again," Fleur explained. "I need to walk, will you all come with me?" she asked, as Bill helped her too her feet. The three girls nodded, and followed Fleur as she walked through the kitchen and out to the lawn, resuming their chatter as they moved. Mrs. Weasley saw where they were headed and joined them, leaving the five men alone in the sitting room.

Bill sat down and ran a hand through his shaggy red hair. "Nerve-wracking this is," he muttered.

"What?" George asked. "Being married? Being married to Fleur? Or having a baby?"

"Fleur being pregnant; it's just strange. I feel really helpless… there's nothing I can do for her," Bill explained.

"What do you mean?" Percy asked. "Dad always did stuff for Mum when she was pregnant."

"Well, I can get her water and help clean and all that junk. But, the baby moves all the time and kicks her ribs, sometimes it looks like it's kind of painful. And then mum and the midwife were explaining these Braxton-Hicks contractions she's having. They're not real labor, but they hurt, and she wakes up and has to walk around sometimes. There's nothing I can do!"

"Blimey, that sounds awful," George muttered.

"I'll be glad when the baby is here instead of inside Fleur's stomach," Bill said, making the rest of them chuckle slightly.

"Hey, Perce, how is this gathering at Hogwarts going to work? Don't they have class that week?" Ron asked after a few moments of silence.

Percy cleared his throat importantly. "Yes, but they put off break until that week. The student body will be returning home Friday and will come back to the castle the following Thursday. This way the ceremony can be held and anyone who wishes to stay can stay in the Dorms," he explained.

"Oh, that makes sense I suppose. All the students are going home?" Ron asked.

"Yes, the parents of the student body were notified of the event when school started, they knew this was happening and made arrangements to have their children brought home for the week," he explained.

"How do you know all this?" Bill asked curiously.

"His girlfriend works in the Education Administration office," George muttered quietly.

"Girlfriend? What!" Ron exclaimed, breaking into a wide grin.

"George, shut up. I told you-"

"You told George but not the rest of us?" Bill said, grinning as well. "Why haven't you brought her 'round, Percy? Not still ashamed of what we'd reveal are you?"

"No, that's not it," Percy said defensively. "I haven't brought her yet, because she's been very busy with work and-"

"Very busy holed up in your apartment is more like it," George said, causing the rest of the men to laugh loudly.

"Percy, we need to meet this girl! Why haven't you brought her around?" Bill asked again. "Seriously man; mum would go mental if she found out you had a girlfriend for a while and hadn't brought her around."

"I haven't had a girlfriend for a while, we've only been together about a month, and I didn't want dad to ask her a bunch of questions like he does to Hermione and Harry all time. She's very shy and –"

"So she's Muggle-born and you didn't want dad to frighten her off?" Bill asked.

"Who would I frighten off?" Mr. Weasley asked from in the kitchen.

"Percy's girlfriend, the shy Muggle-born who works in the Education Administration office," George explained.

"Girlfriend?" Mr. Weasley asked with a smile. "Which one is she, Perce? I know all of them already from working on the committee. They've been giving us the names of the Muggle-borns who are entering school in the next few years so we can meet with their families to prepare them."

"You know all of them up there?" Percy asked.

"Yes, of course; work very closely with them. Now, who is she?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Audrey Rousseau," Percy said, watching his father. "Have you talked with her a lot?"

Mr. Weasley laughed. "Audrey is your girlfriend? I talked with her last week; she's a bright girl, very pretty. She thinks a lot of you, Perce. I was beginning to wonder who the young man she was talking about was."

"What did she say?" Percy asked, his eyes lighting up.

"Just how kind her boyfriend was and how he was so ambitious," Mr. Weasley said shrugging. "You'll have to bring her around next week, your mother will be thrilled," he said wandering back into the kitchen chuckling slightly.

Percy sighed, grinning slightly. "Well, that made things a bit easier, Perce," George said.

"Yeah, now all we have to hear about is how you managed to charm her back to your apartment," Ron agreed with a laugh.

"Shut up," Percy said, as the rest of the group laughed.

"It's not as though you have much to brag about, Ron," George said with a teasing look. "Gotten your hands on that guide for Hermione yet?"

Before Ron could respond, a bright peel of laughter echoed from the doorway as Hermione, Ginny, Fleur, Angelina and Mrs. Weasley walked back inside. Hermione waited until Mrs. Weasley had gone upstairs to change her shoes before advancing toward the group.

"As a matter of fact, George, I did manage to get my hands on a book; just last week in fact. Course, it didn't really tell me anything I didn't know already, but I found the oral examination in Lydia's Guide to Lustful Encounters quite… exciting, I must say. Wouldn't you agree, Ron?" Hermione said. Ron gaped, but grinned broadly as he observed George's curious expression. "Oh, that's right; you said you only had edition one, right Angelina?"

Angelina subsided into laughter. "That's right."

"Ah, shame. I'll have to loan you the second edition. Poor Georgie is missing out," Hermione said loftily as she wandered into the kitchen.

George's mouth hung open in shock as he looked from Hermione's back to Ron's smug expression. Harry had buried his head in his hands, attempting to hide his laughter while Bill and Percy chuckled loudly. Ginny shook with suppressed laughter and Fleur rolled her eyes as she smiled.

"What did you tell her?" George asked Angelina.

"I didn't tell her a thing, she told me. And I think it's time you stop teasing her and Ron if you don't want our personal life messed with," Angelina responded before subsiding into laughter.

Two weeks passed uneventfully. Ginny's Quidditch season had ended for the summer as the Harpies didn't make the play-offs, but she enjoyed the free time she had and busied herself by helping Angelina plan her and George's wedding.

"It's just going to be small, just our families and close friends. To be honest, all George and I really want is the party, but were doing the ceremony for my mum and Molly," Angelina explained as her and Ginny browsed through white dresses.

"Yes, mum rather likes her weddings," Ginny said rolling her eyes.

"George is just having Ron, Harry, and Lee as his groomsmen. I told him he could add Bill, Percy and Charlie into the mix, but he said that three was enough. So it will just be Katie, you, and Hermione up beside me," Angelina explained.

Ginny stopped and blinked her eyes. "Me?"

"Of course you! You and Hermione have become like sisters to me, and Katie is my best friend. I wouldn't want anyone else up by me," she said with a smile.

"Wow," Ginny replied. "Thank you, I feel the same way." Ginny paused, letting the information sink into her head slowly as she grinned and thought of Angelina as her sister-in-law. "I still can't believe my two brothers are getting married," she said after a few moments, shaking her head.

"What about you? When do you think Harry will pop the question?" Angelina asked.

"You know, we haven't talked about it really. But I'm not worried, we're still young and right now I'm focused on Quidditch and he's focused on being an Auror. I'm not sure we have enough room to focus on a wedding," she said.

"I think Harry would focus on anything you asked him too," Angelina said with a small smile.

"Meaning?" Ginny asked.

"Meaning he's absolutely crazy for you; you can see it every time he looks at you. I'm surprised that Ron is beating him to the punch and asking Hermione before he asks you," she explained.

"Ron is crazy about Hermione!"

"Yes, there's no question about that. But those two usually hit milestones about the same time… I'm just guessing Harry is probably thinking about asking you soon, if I were going to put money on it, I'd say-"

"Don't say," Ginny interrupted. "I don't want to get my hopes up and expect something and be let down. If there's one thing I've learned about dating Harry Potter it's always to be prepared for something unexpected," she explained, causing Angelina to laugh.

As Angelina's wedding plans fell into place, Ginny began spending more time over at Bill and Fleur's cottage helping them prepare for the baby. It was early on a Tuesday morning when Ginny arrived and set down a bundle of blankets her mother had sent with her.

"Fleur, I swear, this kid is never going to run out of blankets. She'll never be cold, and neither will you and Bill for that matter," Ginny said, rolling her eyes.

Fleur laughed. "Your muzzer is so funny; she was over here last night helping finish ze room and putting ze crib up. I don't zhink I have laughed that hard in a while. 'Make sure you tighten ze screws, Bill. We don't want him to fall out!'"

"Right… I don't even want to imagine how she'll be when I'm pregnant," Ginny said with a shudder. She set to work, taking clothes upstairs and putting them away in the drawers. The baby's room was painted light beige, with pictures of animals jumping around the room. Ginny knew that there was a charm that would make the pictures move to entertain the infant when he or she was older; the thought of having another niece or nephew was beginning to excite her greatly_. Another niece or nephew_, she smiled to herself; she had really begun to think of Teddy Lupin as family since she spent so much time with him.

Harry had insisted Andromeda take two nights a week to herself, and on those nights Teddy would come to stay at Grimmauld Place with them. With Kreacher's help, Harry had transformed what was a small office into a bright blue bedroom with a child's bed and pictures of the Hogwarts Express that moved around the room. Teddy loved coming to stay, though the first couple times he was a bit nervous about sleeping alone in the room. He had wandered down the hall teary eyed, until he found where Harry and Ginny slept and crawled into bed with them. She had grown quite fond of the little man, whose verbal skills grew more every time she saw him. She also loved watching Harry play with him, thinking to herself how much she would love for him to be the father of her children.

"Fleur, where do you want the blankets? The drawer is full," Ginny called down the steps. There was no response from the sitting room, so she began to descend them to see where her sister-in-law was.

"Fleur?" Ginny called, looking around the kitchen. She heard a low groan from the kitchen, and moved quickly through the door.

Fleur was leaning over the table, her hands gripping the edge with such force that her knuckles had turned white. She was breathing heavily and Ginny could see her body shaking slightly as she stood.

"Fleur? What's wrong?" she asked in a panicky voice, rushing over to where she stood.

"Jus… jus anozer one of zhose contractions," she muttered. "I'll be fine; I jus need a minute…"

"Um… do you need to use the restroom?" Ginny asked.

Fleur looked up at her curiously, blotchy red spots covering her cheeks. "No…"

"Well, maybe you did and you didn't know… I think that happens sometimes… but you're standing in a puddle; the floor is all wet here… let's move over, you can sit down and-"

"WHAT?" Fleur screamed suddenly, looking down. "Oh my God!"

"What? What? It's no big deal! I think it happens a lot," Ginny said in a reassuring tone.

"No… no it's not zat. I zhink my water broke!"

Ginny stared, and suddenly the words Fleur was saying absorbed into her ears. "OH! Well, I suppose that would make more sense," she said, her cheeks flushing in embarrassment.

"Oh dear… We need to get Bill, we have to go in. Ze midwife said zat if my water broke I have to go in, no matter what," Fleur said, a trace of panic in her voice. Suddenly her breathing picked up and she groaned again, grabbing Ginny by the shoulders for support as her knees buckled.

Ginny caught Fleur under her arms and tried to hold her up. "What's wrong?"

Fleur just shook her head and motioned toward the sitting room. Ginny supported her as they walked, listening to her strained breathing. Once they got into the room, Fleur lowered herself, with Ginny's help to the floor.

"Anozer contraction… they are strong," Fleur said, rubbing her stomach and panting. "We have to send for Bill, but how? I don't know how to reach him!"

"Isn't he at the bank?"

"Yes, but they aren't on the floo network. We didn't expect zhis to happen, ze baby isn't supposed to come for anozer week…"

"Yeah… sometimes they come early, I guess," Ginny explained, feeling rather helpless as she watched Fleur.

"We can jus wait… eet is almost noon, he comes home for lunch. He'll be here soon," she muttered. They sat in silence for a few seconds, before Fleur started to breathe heavily again and gripped Ginny's hand tightly, making her grimace.

"That's quite the handshake you've got," said Ginny when Fleur's grip relaxed.

"Sorry…"

"It's all right. Is that one over?"

"No…" Fleur said, closing her eyes and breathing heavily again. She tried to control the pace of her breathing, but her resolve failed and she let out a groan of pain.

"I'm going to call my mum; she can get to Bill, or at least find out who can," Ginny said, jumping to her feet.

"No… If we jus wait…Bill should come home… ahhh!" Fleur groaned again, throwing her head back and squeezing her hands into fists. Ginny ignored her protest and ran to the fire place, throwing powder in and shouting "The Burrow!" with as much energy as she could muster.

"Mum! MUM!" She screamed when the spinning had stopped and she peered into her sitting room.

"Ginny? What on Earth are you doing?" Her mother asked, looking into the fireplace with a curious expression.

"Come to Shell Cottage, now! Fleur's water broke," she explained, pulling her head out of the fire and rushing back to Fleur's side.

Not even two seconds later, Mrs. Weasley appeared. Dusting herself off, she approached where Ginny was crouched over a panting Fleur.

"What? What happened?" Mrs. Weasley said, looking from Ginny to Fleur rapidly.

"Molly… my water broke," Fleur breathed, as her panting calmed and her face relaxed. "Is zhis bad? The baby isn't due for another week?"

"Well, apparently he's decided to come early; they tend to have minds of their own," Mrs. Weasley said with a small grin. Ginny looked panicky, but her mother remained completely calm. "Come on, let's get you up and get you to Mungo's; they'll be able to make you comfortable, at least. How fast are the contractions coming?"

"I haven't been keeping track… zhey are very painful," Fleur said, grasping Molly's hand as she helped her up.

"They're quick, Mum; like every other minute I think," Ginny said.

"Well, we'd better hurry then. Ginny, go to the Ministry and find your father, have him get Bill at the bank. We'll head to Mungo's and meet you there," Mrs. Weasley explained as she gently guided Fleur to the fireplace.

"Why can't I just go to Gringotts and get Bill?" Ginny asked.

"Zhey won't let you in, security has been tightened so much since ze war," Fleur explained, gasping suddenly as another contraction overtook her.

"Your father has access because of our account. Just go!" Her mother said as she paused and started talking Fleur through her breathing.

Ginny nodded and ran out the front door. As soon as she was out of the protective boundaries that were still in place around Shell Cottage, she turned and Apparated directly outside the entrance to the Ministry. Jumping into the phone booth that was the visitor's entrance, she announced her name and reason for visit and waited impatiently as the elevator descended slowly. When the doors open, she stumbled out and ran toward where her father's office was.

"Woah, woah! Slow down there, young lady. I need to check you in; may I see your wand?" The guard asked, grabbing Ginny by the arm and pulling her back toward the administration desk.

She pulled out her wand from the pocket of her jeans. "Ginny Weasley, I'm here to see my dad, Arthur," she sputtered, blushing slightly at the stern tone of voice from the Guard. She watched as he examined her wand, making notes on a piece of paper before handing her a slip and motioning for her to go on her way. She hadn't gotten past the new fountain when she heard her name being called from behind her.

"Ginny! Hey, Ginny!" a female voice called. She turned to see Hermione jogging to catch up with her, a bright smile on her face. "What are you doing here? Harry's on lunch, I think he went home, but you might-"

"Someone has to get a hold of Bill; Fleur is in labor," Ginny explained at top speed.

"What?"

"Fleur is in labor! I was at the house, and her water broke. My mum took her to St. Mungo's, but that baby is coming and Bill is going to miss it!" Ginny explained, her voice rising in pitch.

"Oh! Okay, um… your dad's office is over here, let's go," Hermione said, pointing toward the second set of elevators and picking up her pace. "Why can't you just go to Gringotts?"

"Apparently they don't let you in unless you have an account or something; I don't know, it didn't make sense to me," Ginny said, watching as the doors of the elevator opened up. To her surprise, her father stepped out.

"Well, Hi Ginny, Hermione! What are you two-"

"Dad, you need to get a hold of Bill somehow, Fleur is in Labor," Ginny said before he could ask any questions.

"What?" her father asked.

"For Merlin's sake! Am I not explaining it clearly? _Fleur_ is in _labor_! She's at Mungo's, with mum," Ginny explained in an exasperated tone.

"Well, does Bill know?"

"No! That's why mum sent me to get you, she said you'd be able to get him from Gringotts," Ginny explained, following her father as he started to walk.

"Right… Right, you go to Mungo's and help your mother; I'll run to Gringotts and get Bill and send him over right away," her father said, rushing out the door without even a good bye.

Ginny sighed, "Good Heavens, you'd think this never happened before! I can see why Harry keeps saying that it would be easy if we adapted a telephone system in our world," she said as Hermione laughed.

"I'll tell Harry where you are. If anything happens will you let us know so we can stop by?" Hermione asked, grinning broadly.

"Yes, I'm not sure how though, without running around rampant again," Ginny said.

"I'll have to teach you to make your Patronus talk, that will make things easier," Hermione said chuckling again. "Have someone send word, please?"

"I will, no worries. I'll talk to you later," Ginny said, watching Hermione walk back to her office and wave at her as she boarded the elevator. Ginny walked back outside, turned on the spot, and appeared in front of the entrance to Mungo's.

By the time she had found the room where Fleur and her mum where, it was apparent that the baby was rapidly approaching.

"Are you serious? Zhere is nothzing else you can do?" Fleur was asking the midwife as she checked her pulse. Fluer's face was contorted in pain; sweat covered her face and she had one hand holding her stomach and the other squeezing a bar on the edge of her bed tightly.

"No, I'm sorry, dear; the potion is it. Just breathe, it'll be over in a few hours," the woman said after fluffing Fleur's pillows and patting her on the head. Ginny smiled lightly as the woman walked past her, turning back to look at Fleur and her mother.

"Molly, did zhey give you anyzhing different?" Fleur asked in desperation.

"Actually, no… they never gave us anything when my children were born," Mrs. Weasley explained, trying her hardest to be encouraging. "Ron and Ginny were both born at home. I didn't even bother going in."

"I expect after delivering Fred and George, Ron and I must have seemed like a piece of cake," Ginny said as she moved into the room.

"That may have been the case. Did you tell your father to send Bill?" Mrs. Weasley asked, getting to her feet.

"Yeah, he ran off to get him, I'm sure they'll be here soon," Ginny said.

"I'm going to go wait in the hall in the lobby for them so he knows right where to go. Do you want Ginny to stay with you, Fleur?" Mrs. Weasley said as she moved toward the door.

"Yes, please… if you don't mind, Ginny," Fleur said quietly, starting to pant heavily again.

"I'll stay," Ginny said moving to sit in the chair next to her bed. Her mother left the room, shutting the door behind her. Ginny watched Fleur breathe slowly and struggle through another contraction; she gripped the side of the bed for another minute before the pain subsided and she relaxed. There was silence between them for a moment; Ginny didn't know what to say or how to help Fleur along.

"Zhank you for staying, Ginny, I'm sure zhis cannot be pleasant to watch," Fleur said in a light whisper.

"I'm sure it can't be pleasant to go through," Ginny responded, Fleur chuckled lightly.

"It'll be worth it in the end," Fleur said, rubbing her enormous belly fondly. Ginny smiled and twisted her fingers nervously.

"I am a leetle scared," Fleur suddenly confessed.

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"I'm not sure if I can do zhis… when it comes to ze pushing. And what if I am not a good muzzer?" Fleur asked anxiously.

"Stop, you can do this, you'll be fine. You made it through the Triwizard Tournament tasks; and if that wasn't enough, you've made it through almost three years being married into my family," Ginny said, making Fleur chuckle again. "After that, birth and motherhood will be easy."

"I do love your sense of humor; you've always made me laugh," Fleur said. A few seconds later she groaned loudly and contorted her face into a grimace. Her hands gripped the bar of the bed so tightly her knuckles turned white. Ginny reached up, and ran her fingers through Fleur's hair in a comforting gesture. This contraction lasted longer, and Fleur had more trouble with coping; she whimpered quietly several times before relaxing again, beads of sweat running down her face. There was silence between them for a few more moments.

"I know you haven't always zhought very highly of me," Fleur said suddenly, staring down at her belly. "I'm sure I was a leetle arrogant at first… and it was very awkward for me to come into your family after such a short time… But I have always zhought very fondly of you, and your brothers and parents. I really want you all to be a part of her life, and I just hope that I have gotten closer to you and-"

"Fleur, it's fine. I know it was awkward for you and us both. But, now I love you, we all do. You've been good to my brother, and you'll be good to my niece. Don't worry, everything is fine," Ginny said, squeezing Fleur's hand gently. Fleur nodded and squeezed back.

The door to the room suddenly burst open, and Bill came in along with Fleur's mother and Mrs. Weasley. Ginny had to smile at the way that Fleur's face lit up when Bill came rushing into her side; it seemed like her worries and concerns instantly vanished the second he appeared.

"How are you? I didn't expect this at all; I wouldn't have gone in today if I knew. Did they give you anything?" Bill asked, taking Ginny's spot as she moved quickly out of the way.

"Yes, zhey have given me somezhing. It doesn't help much though, but it was somezhing. I am so glad you are here," Fleur said leaning her forehead against Bill's as he held her hand and ran his fingers through her hair.

Ginny smiled and began to back toward the door. Her mother stopped her, "Where are you going?"

"To wait in the hall; I'm not sure I can watch, but I want to stay and meet her," Ginny explained.

"Him, you mean," her mother responded with a smile. "I'll see you out there in a few minutes."

Ginny nodded and wandered out to the hall to sit in the chair; she listened to the sound of Madam Delacour fussing over her daughter and Bill talking with her mother and Fleur about the contractions. The midwife passed by Ginny to enter the room; she was carrying a tray of towels and other medical items. Ginny leaned her head against the back of the chair and closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she waited.

"Ginny… hey, Ginny…" a voice whispered. Ginny shook her head and inhaled deeply, opening her eyes and looking over to see Harry's face swimming above her own.

"What? How long was I asleep?"

"You were asleep when we got here, that was about an hour ago," he said, brushing a hair out of her eyes and grinning.

"How's Fleur?"

"She's better, they're doing good. I wanted to let you sleep, but your mum said you'd kill me if I didn't wake you up," Harry explained.

"Has the baby been born?"

"Yes, about five minutes ago," Harry said with a smile. "It's a girl; I don't know what they've named her. We haven't been in there yet; Bill came out and told us and then went right back in, but I'm guessing we can see them in a bit."

Ginny nodded and stretched her arms above her head. Harry was still in his work robes, as were Hermione and Ron who stood a little ways away from them. "Where's the rest of my enormous family?"

"They're coming, but they didn't want to overwhelm everyone. Ron and Hermione came because they knew early what was going on, and they're both really excited," Harry explained, watching as Ginny nodded. About ten minutes later, the door to the room opened, and the midwife walked out, congratulating Bill again as he followed.

"Come in, come in now," he said, grinning broadly and waving them all inside. Ginny jumped to her feet and walked inside, grinning as Hermione followed her quickly.

Fleur sat on the bed, cuddling what appeared to be a bundle of blankets. Mrs. Weasley and Madam Delacour stood at her shoulders grinning down at the bundle. Ginny and Hermione walked to flank their sides.

"Oh, look at their little _girl_! What a precious little _girl_! What are you going to name your little _girl_, Fleur?" Ginny said, emphasizing the sex of the baby to tease her mother. Mrs. Weasley nudged her lightly as she grinned down at her granddaughter fondly.

"Victoire," Fleur said with a big smile. "Eet is French for 'victory'."

"Victory?" Hermione asked curiously.

"It's the anniversary of the battle," Bill said from his spot at the foot of the bed. "We thought it was fitting."

Ginny and Hermione both smiled, before turning their attention back to the bundle Fleur was holding. A few minutes passed while everyone looked over Fleur's shoulder and fawned over the baby. Fleur finally lifted the bundle and nodded toward Ginny. "Would you like to hold 'er?"

"Oh, well maybe mum or you, Madam Delacour, should get to before I do," Ginny sputtered, staring at the bundle.

"We've already had our turns, you go ahead, Ginny," Mrs. Weasley said with a smile.

Ginny smiled and reached for the bundle, cradling the baby in her arms. Hermione moved to look over one shoulder as Ron stood in front of her and Harry at her other side. Ginny grinned and pulled at the blankets so she could see the baby closer.

Victoire's eyes were open, bright blue and alert as she blinked rapidly at the bright light and watched her new surroundings. Her lips were a bright pink, and her mouth opened and closed once or twice as she made sucking motions with her tongue. Her arms were wrapped in the blanket, so Ginny loosened it slightly so she could move them if she wanted. The little girl stared up at her, her pupils trying to focus on her face.

As the baby stared, Ginny felt a rush of emotion flood through her being. "Hello, little one. Welcome to the world," she whispered, nuzzling the baby lightly with her nose.

* * *

The next morning, Ron's head was overfilled with emotions from the birth of his niece and nervousness for the task he had assigned to himself that day. They had left Mungo's mid-evening to allow Fleur, Bill and Victiore to get some sleep, but not until Ron had held the baby at everyone's insistence.

She was small and warm, her bright blue eyes seemed to pierce him with an uncommon curiosity. "I suppose I should say something to you, but the rest of them will tell you that I'm not the best with words," Ron muttered to Victiore as she stared at him. He smiled gently, "You are sweet…" he admitted, gently rocking her from side to side. He looked up at Hermione who was beaming brightly at him, her eyes a bit watery with tears as she watched.

It was that look on her face that sealed his decision. No matter how tired he was, he would finally take on the task that he had been avoiding since he bought her the ring.

Ron dressed in his best pair of jeans, and a blue button down shirt that Hermione had gotten him a while back. When he had finished breakfast, he walked outside and Apparated to the outskirts of Sommerset. The streets were quiet, only a few cars out. He assumed everyone must be at work, but he knew that Mr. and Mrs. Granger would be home; their offices were closed on Wednesday.

He approached the house and felt his face begin to heat up. Why this was so unnerving he couldn't quite figure out, but he knew that he had to take this step to make sure everything was in order before he approached Hermione.

He rapped lightly on the door twice, and waited anxiously for it to open. It was only a few seconds later that the door opened and Jean Granger grinned through the crack at him. Ron was always surprised by her smile and how much it resembled Hermione's.

"Ron! Well this is a surprise! Come in, it looks like rain," she said, opening the door and stepping aside to let him in.

"I hope I'm not bothering you," Ron said quietly, trying to smile but his nervousness probably reflected it more as a grimace.

"No, not at all. Is Hermione at work? Do you need something for the committee?" She asked, taking his arm and guiding him to the couch.

"No, no, the committee is fine, and Hermione is at work; I had the morning off," he explained, taking a seat. He looked up and began to fidget nervously when Hermione's father entered the room.

"Hi, Ron," Mr. Granger said. Ron nodded and tried to smile as Mr. Granger took a seat across from him.

"I've got to run upstairs and get my shoes, I'll be right back," Mrs. Granger said as she walked toward the steps. Ron swallowed and turned himself toward Mr. Granger, who eyed him curiously. There were a few seconds of silence.

"Would you like some tea? Or some coffee? Or a drink?" Mr. Granger asked suddenly.

"Um… I don't need anything, thank you, Mr. Granger," Ron replied, laughing lightly.

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind," Mr. Granger said.

"Well… er, yes, I kind of do. I actually stopped by to ask you and Mrs. Granger something," Ron said quietly.

"Ask away; no need to be shy," Mr. Granger said. "And you can call us Simon and Jean, no need to be formal. We've gotten to know your family so well now it feels odd to hear you call us that."

"I suppose," Ron said. "I'm glad that you've gotten to know my parents; they've really enjoyed having you become closer to us, and I know it's meant so much to Hermione."

"We're glad as well; it's helped make so much sense of her life now," Simon said with a light chuckle.

Ron sat up, feeling a little more confident. "Do you worry about her life?"

"Yes… and no. Hermione has always been able to find her way through anything, and she fits right into your society perfectly, so that's not a worry. But, I just worry about the typical things: How will she be taken care of, especially since we can't always help her as much as we want. We're happy with the way her life is playing out, it's also just hard to watch at the same time," Simon explained with a sigh. "I suppose that's just sentimentality though."

"I'll always make sure Hermione is taken care of," Ron said. "She finds her way, but we'll always be there to watch out for her as well."

"You care for her very much, everyone can see that. Jean and I appreciate it greatly. I trust all of you with her well-being, so I don't worry about her finding her place. I just worry about typical father stuff. You mean a lot to her, she loves you very much, Ron," Simon said with a small smile.

"The feeling is mutual," Ron said quietly. "That's actually why I'm here."

Simon raised his eyebrows curiously just as Jean walked back into the room and took her seat. "What brings you by today, Ron?" she asked, unaware of the conversation he and her husband had been having.

"Um… Hermione, actually," Ron said. Before Jean could ask what he meant, Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out the small velvet box, turning it in his fingers as he spoke.

"I was just telling Mr. – er, I mean Simon that I will always make sure Hermione is taken care of. We were talking about both your worries of her being watched for and looked after. I'll always be there for her, no matter what. And that's why I'm here today," Ron explained. He held out the box and set it on the table, swallowing again and flushing with color as Hermione's parents eyed it curiously.

"I'd like your permission to ask Hermione to be my wife," Ron said. Jean gasped and put her hands over her mouth and Simon leant forward to look Ron in the eyes. Ron felt his face grow hot again, but he held is confidence level high. "Hermione means the world to me… I don't have the words to explain it. But, I can promise that I will always be there to take care of her, and I'll love her forever. It was important to me to talk with you first; I want your blessing before I ask her."

Jean sniffed and wiped tears from her eyes as she reached for the box and opened it. Simon cleared his throat, "Ron… You and your family have always accepted her and made the transition for her, and for us, into your world so much easier," he paused, swallowing hard and smiling. "I can't think of anything that would make me happier than to know that Hermione would always be looked after by you," he said.

Ron grinned and nodded his head. Jean suddenly jumped from her chair and moved to sit beside Ron, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. "Oh! Of course you have our blessing. This is so wonderful," she sniffed, wiping tears from her eyes on his shirt. Ron clumsily patted her on the shoulder, smiling and looking over at Simon.

"Yes, that's where Hermione gets it from," he said.

Jean waved her hands at him and handed Ron back the box with the ring. "Does she have any idea you plan to ask her? Are you planning on doing it at the ceremony this weekend?"

"Er… I had thought about it, but not in front of everyone, she would hate that," Ron said, looking at the ring fondly before closing the box and putting it back in his pocket as Jean began to offer him suggestions for a proposal while her husband rolled his eyes.


	29. Commitment

A/N: Real song name and right artist name this time... I promise =)

* * *

Commitment

"Colorblind" Counting Crows

* * *

Hermione stood and examined herself in the full length mirror that had been placed in her and Ron's room at Grimmauld Place. She frowned at herself, appraising her sleek, but unruly hair; her boring, overly average figure, and the pale color of her skin. She glanced at the sky blue dress on her bed; it shorter than the one she'd worn to the ball at the Ministry, but not as seductive. It was fitted at the waist, and had a scooped neckline that would accent her collarbones, but the spaghetti straps seemed boring compared to the strapless gown she had previously worn.

"I suppose, since it's an award ceremony, it will have to do," she muttered to herself.

Her eyes fell to the underwear she had on; the white strapless bra did nothing for her curves, and the white knickers were the most boring pair she owned. She sighed heavily as she thought about her underwear.

Every single pair of knickers she owned had stayed perfectly in place on her hips, like a cotton fence that she refused to let Ron, and herself cross. No matter how intimate they became, nor how much passion she felt, her own insecurity with her body and fear of the unknown always resulted in the same thing: her asking Ron to stop before they went too far; her saying "no" when he asked to make love to her; her refusing to let him do anything more than touch her when she had done so much more to him.

"I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do," he had said to her recently in-between very passionate kisses, "But, doesn't it seem a little… unfair?"

Hermione had responded by kissing him fiercely, which caused him to groan against her lips as she rocked her hips against his. He was naked from the waist up, and she was in nothing but a thin tank top and her knickers; Ron slid his hands over her back side, trailing his hand over her thigh before hitching her leg around his hip.

"I like making you feel good," she whispered, grinding against him again.

"I'd like to return the favor," he said, lowering his lips to her neck and nipping at her collar bones. She closed her eyes as he brought the straps of her tank top down to uncover her breasts. His hands against her skin sent shivers up her spine, and the way his lips and tongue felt was indescribable. Hermione breathed deeply, allowing Ron to move his hands to her inner thighs and up toward the apex of her legs. He moved his lips lower, kissing her stomach and tugging gently at the fabric of her knickers with his fingers.

She grabbed his hands and pulled his lips back to hers, shaking her head. Ron sighed as he kissed her; she released his hands, and he trailed them back along her waist, resuming their path toward the space she always allowed him to touch.

Ron kissed Hermione's neck, listening intently to the sound of her breathing. He lifted his head and kissed her lips. "Please… let me-"

"I'm scared…" she whispered.

"Why?" he asked, continuing the steady movements of his fingers as they explored the fascinating and visually forbidden area of her body.

"I… I just am… I'm not-"

"I think you're beautiful," he said in a low voice against her ear, making her cry out softly. "I love you… I want to see you; I want to see every part of you… I want you…" he said, moving his lips lower against her neck. "I love you so much, I want to make you feel what I feel…"

"You… do…" she whimpered.

"I can make it better," he said in a husky voice. He watched her face in fascination as her eyes squeezed shut and she cried out silently, her hips moving in rhythm with the motions of his hands. When she started to relax, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling her flush against him and kissing her softly. He moved his hips over hers, involuntarily rocking his pelvis against hers and groaning.

"Stop…" she whispered, shaking her head. Ron sighed and rolled on his side, pulling her with him.

"You know I love you; I will wait for you to be ready," he said quietly. "But, why are you scared?"

"I don't know…" she whispered.

"_Hermione_!"

Hermione was wrenched out of her memory by the sound of Ginny's voice calling to her from outside the door. She grabbed her bath robe off the bed and wrapped it around her before opening the door to see Ginny standing in the hallway, a confused expression on her face. "Were you sleeping? I've been calling for you for a minute or more."

"No…I was just thinking," she said.

"You said you might want some help with your hair; do you still need me?"

"Not right now, go ahead and get ready; I'll come in if I need help," Hermione said with a grin.

Ginny nodded and wandered down the hallway; Hermione shut the door and leaned against it, sighing heavily. Why _was_ she afraid?

She knew Ron loved her; if he didn't say it every day, she could see it in his eyes when he looked at her. She knew that if, for some unforeseen reason, they didn't stay together, that she would regret it if he didn't have that piece of her. He was, after all, her best friend and the first man she ever loved. They had shared so many other firsts together, it would seem wrong to her if this was not one of them. She knew that he would take the time to make it as easy on her as possible, and that he was right about the fact that it would be amazing. She also knew that each time he touched her, each time his fingers traced the intimate parts of her body, her desire rose in her like a firestorm of lust. Why was she so unwilling to give in to it?

"Perhaps the thought of losing control is the reason you cannot give in," the mirror suddenly said.

Hermione gasped, she had unknowingly wandered over and was standing in front of the mirror again examining herself. "I beg your pardon?" She asked. She'd never known of any mirrors to be able to read minds; or, had she been speaking out loud...

"The dress! Isn't that what you're debating about? You always dress with such a sense of control over your body. Isn't that why you're delaying putting it on? Because you'd have less control over your appearance? It looks marvelous, darling; even if it is a bit cheeky," the mirror replied.

"Yes… yes, that's why…" Hermione muttered in response. She walked to the bed and pulled on the dress, zipping it up in the back and sliding the straps over her shoulders. Walking back to the mirror, she ran a brush through her hair and applied a small amount of Sleekeazy potion. She pulled her mop of curls into a loose twist just above the nape of her neck, allowing a few strands to hang loose and frame her face. The minutes passed as she applied her make-up, paying close attention to the colors she used so they would bring out her eyes and the color of the dress. As she worked, she thought about her fear of intimacy. How much did it all come down to her fear of not having control; her fear of not knowing the answer to every little question?

What would happen if she decided to make love to Ron? She had no way of knowing, and giving herself in to him would mean releasing that tight hold she'd always kept on herself over matters of intimacy. The results? There were unpredictable; but she would never answer the question unless she took the chance and gave into her own desires.

"That's lovely dear," the mirror said when Hermione stepped back and examined herself. "See? A little loss of control can be a good thing at times."

"Yes, perhaps it can," Hermione replied. She stepped away from the door, and the mirror, taking a deep breath as she stepped out into the hall to visit Ginny.

"It looks fine; why are you worried about it?" Ginny said a few minutes later when Hermione began to complain about her chosen hairstyle.

"It's fine, I suppose. I just feel like it's very plain," she said as she tugged at a few more strands.

"I think having it up like that goes really well with your dress," Ginny said as she ran her wand over her own hair, drying it and smoothing it out as she went.

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Do you think this dress is too simple?"

Ginny laughed. "I've never seen you so worried about how you look, stop it. It's fine," Ginny said rolling her eyes and smiling. She was already dressed in her chosen gown for the evening, which was a simple white gown with thin straps. They criss-crossed over her back, before tapering in at the waist and flowing out over her hips. The dress wasn't full length, but it wasn't short either; the hemline rested just above her calves, showing off her slim legs and ankles wonderfully.

"You seem really nervous," Ginny observed as she stood up and smoothed her dress. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Hermione responded. "I'm just nervous about this whole thing."

"All you'll need to do is stand up and shake Kingsley's hand. Then you can eat, and have a few drinks, and it'll all be over," Ginny replied as she placed her wand into the ribbon that ran around her waist. "These things become a pain when you have to dress up. I much prefer to wear jeans and have pockets where I can store my wand," she grumbled, making Hermione laugh loudly.

Three hours later, Hermione and Ron were walking hand in hand as they approached the Great Hall of Hogwarts. Ginny and Harry were walking in front of them, both laughing at some inside joke they kept referring too.

"I don't think she knows how to be serious," Ron said, smiling as he watched the two of them walk ahead.

"I wonder where she gets that from," Hermione muttered with grin.

"George," Ron responded immediately, making Hermione laugh lightly.

Once inside, they were escorted toward the front of the room and seated right next to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Neville, and Tim. Neville smiled and nodded as they approached, but Tim looked solemn and focused.

"All right?" Harry asked curiously as he sat down next to him.

"Fine. Just trying to be observant," he responded quietly.

Harry glanced around. "Are they expecting something to happen?"

Tim shook his head. "No, they've got massive security, so anyone would be mad to try and disrupt the ceremony. But… I'm just tense, I'm not sure this was the best idea Kingsley has ever had."

"You're not?"

Tim sighed and leaned closer to Harry. "There are people who are pissed about that protection act, and the same people are going to be furious that you three were recognized for bringing it about and bringing more Muggles into our world. They-"

"We know that; but it needs to be done," Harry replied. "They need to realize the war is over, Voldemort is dead and-"

"The war isn't over," Tim hissed. "There is still someone out there who is either channeling Voldemort's spirit or is very much a part of him. The Death Eaters are rallying, they're getting ready for something, and this is just the kind of thing that will set them off," he explained angrily.

Harry glanced behind him at Ginny, who was still talking with Hermione and Ron and completely unaware of the conversation behind her. "Listen, mate, I agree; but if this draws them out into the open, then they're easier to find and deal with, right?" he asked. "Just… just let tonight happen, we'll deal with the outcome on Monday. It means a lot me that Ron and Hermione are going to get recognized finally. I can't take it away from them," he said.

Tim nodded. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry. I'm just really tense lately, it feels like something is happening right under our feet and we can't find it," he said with a sigh. "You're right; let them have their thunder… and you too. Congrats, by the way," Tim said, clapping Harry on the shoulder. Harry nodded and returned the gesture.

Kingsley stood up and approached the front of the room. Harry turned back toward the front, along with Ginny, Hermione, and Ron, and listened intently to his speech. It was short and to the point: the war was over, a new world had begun. Voldemort was gone, never to return. There would be peace, and any disrupters of that peace would be dealt with swiftly and in accordance with the wishes of the public.

"There are many we have to thank for this day, some are with us and others are gone," he said before explaining the role Severus Snape had played in the downfall of Lord Voldemort. Kingsley awarded the former Professor the Order of Merlin, and thanked him for the service given to the wizarding world. He then presented the awards to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, thanking them for their continued support of Muggle rights and praising the efforts of both them and all their children during the war.

"And now, there are three people, whom everyone in this room know, that are responsible on the whole for the end destruction of Lord Voldemort, and with that the end of the war.

"Hermione Granger," Kingsley said, gesturing to Hermione as she stood and walked toward the stage. "Though you were hunted and discriminated against, you did not back down. You bravely fought for what was right, even though you were an outsider in this world. Your continued efforts toward the betterment of Wizarding Society have proven that every witch or wizard we welcome into our community is of enormous value, and that we need to keep our eyes and hearts open to them all."

He handed Hermione a large gold amulet, and shook her hand while she grinned broadly. The members of the audience clapped and cheered as she returned to her seat.

"Ronald Weasley," Kingsley said next, smiling broadly as Ron approached the stage. "Your efforts to form the new committee and involvement in it have been of enormous value, in addition to the example you have set regarding proper morals and Wizarding beliefs. You have proven yourself, time and time again, to be a stand-out among a very strong family. The loyalty you have shown your friends, your beliefs, and our society as a whole are appreciated, and we thank and praise you for your bravery, strength and courage in times of trouble. We should all hope to be as loyal, brave, and full of life as you are."

Kingsley shook Ron's hand and handed him the same amulet. The crowd clapped loudly, there was a particular rowdy yell -that Harry knew came from George- which caused everyone in the crowd to laugh.

"And lastly, Harry," Kingsley said, beckoning Harry to come to the front. "There isn't much I can say that hasn't already been said. Though you had great injustice done to you and to your family, you have never issued out the same. You've remained righteous and true, and there are so many people, both alive and gone, that are enormously proud of you. Thank you, Harry, for all you have done, and all you will continue to do."

Harry shook Kingsley's hand and accepted the amulet, walking back to his seat next to Ginny as the crowd clapped.

"Without you three, we would still be in turmoil, and who knows how much of a society we would have left. And to the new members of the Order of Merlin, thank you for your efforts for both Wizarding kind and our Muggle neighbors. Let's give them a hand," Kingsley said clapping again. The crowd around them stood and clapped loudly, cheering and shouting praise to them all.

Kingsley said a few more closing words before indicating that everyone should enjoy the evening, and congratulating the award winners again. The crowd began to intermingle, and as Ginny walked to Hermione to give her a hug, Ron wandered over to where Harry stood.

"Congrats, mate," Harry said, clapping him hard on the back.

"You too," Ron grinned. He glanced to where Hermione stood with Ginny, watching her with a smile on his face.

"Did you bring the ring?" Harry asked in a low whisper. Ron nodded. "I'm happy for you two; it's been a long time coming," Harry said with a laugh.

"Thanks," Ron said. "Do you think she'll say yes?"

"Of course, it'll be great. By the way," Harry said, reaching into his robes and pulling out his silvery invisibility cloak. "Take this; it'll make it easier for you two to get away from the crowd to take a walk."

"Brilliant," Ron said, taking the cloak and folding it up to fit inside his robes. "You're the best. I honestly don't know what I'd have done the last nine years of my life had I not known you. Thanks, man," Ron grinned at Harry. Harry smiled and clapped Ron on the back again before he walked back over to where Hermione stood with Ginny.

"Don't you look dashing," a voice said from behind Harry. He turned around to see Sabrina sitting at the table behind him, grinning widely.

"Thanks," Harry said. "Good to see you here."

"Have you seen Tim?" Sabrina asked.

"I did earlier, but he either left right after the ceremony or he's off talking to someone because I haven't seen him since," Harry said, allowing his eyes to travel over the room looking for Tim's shaggy, tousled blonde hair.

Sabrina got to her feet and joined in his search. "He was in a funny mood earlier; he seemed very tense."

"Yes, he did. He said something to me about an attack, or that he thought this was a bad idea," Harry explained.

"Why?" Sabrina asked in a shocked tone. "Does he think that it should have just been private?"

"I'm not sure, he just seemed very tense, like you said," Harry explained.

Sabrina sighed. "I think he's a little jealous."

"What?"

"Jealous, of you and Ron," Sabrina explained, dropping her voice. "Everyone knows you, and how hard you worked during the war, they all respect you. Plus, you and Ron are both in very solid relationships, very much in love. I think he's jealous."

Harry made a face. "He doesn't need to be, everyone respects him and-"

"Back _home_ they respect him; here, he's just another Auror. Tim likes to feel like the expert, I think. I don't know; I just think he's lonely and maybe he's a little jealous of all the attention you two get. I mean he's single, he doesn't even show an interest in dating," Sabrina said, swirling the wine in her glass.

"Well, I'm not sure I'd feel like dating either if Ginny were killed," Harry muttered.

"What?" Sabrina gasped. "What do you mean? Was he dating someone?"

"Er…he was… I, um…" Harry stuttered. He suddenly wondered if he should say anything, it was Tim's choice to let people know about what happened. But then again, when Tim had found out Harry knew he wasn't upset at all. "His girlfriend was murdered before he came over, by Snatchers."

Sabrina clasped her hand over her mouth. "Oh my God, I had no idea. I had… oh, God. Harry, I had no idea. You must think me terribly insensitive; what with my comments about Umbridge going after Ron and Ginny's parents, and now about Tim and his jealousy. I always open my mouth and say exactly what's on my mind; no tact, it-"

"Sabrina, it's fine," Harry said. "You didn't know. But, I wouldn't go talking about it to him; I get the feeling he doesn't like to talk about it much. We only spoke briefly about it when I found out, so … yeah," he explained futilely.

"I wouldn't dream of it, but now I know. This explains a lot… Oh, goodness that is so terrible," She whispered. "I hope you don't think badly of me for all the stuff that comes out of my mouth. I'm going to go find him; I expect he's patrolling the grounds. I promise I won't say anything, but I just feel like I need to talk to him." Sabrina hugged Harry quickly, patting him on the shoulder as she released him. "Congratulations by the way, on the award. You deserve it," she said with a smile. Harry watched as she wandered away out the door, a curious expression on his face.

"What was that all about?" Ginny asked from over his shoulder.

Harry shrugged. "We were talking about Tim; he was in a strange mood earlier. Then she just hugged me and said she was going to go look for him," Harry explained.

"She hugged you because Tim was in a strange mood?" Ginny said curiously.

"Well… it was a congratulatory hug, I suppose. But… she said some stuff about Tim, and then I told her something she didn't know about, and I think she felt bad and was worried that I would think her insensitive or something," Harry said shaking his head.

"What did you tell her?" Ginny asked.

"I told her about Tim's fiancé," He said, taking Ginny's hand and squeezing it tightly. "Come, let's sit and I'll explain." He pulled her close to him and wrapped his arm over her shoulders, kissing the top of her head as they walked.

* * *

The sun was setting behind the mountains, bright purple and orange streaks lit up the cloudless sky. Ron and Hermione were walking hand in hand next to the lake on the Hogwarts grounds; Ron had taken his cloak off and put it over Hermione's shoulders.

"It's so nice out," she mused.

"I thought you were cold," he said with a chuckle.

"It's chilly, but it's just so pretty outside. Are you cold? Do you want this back?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the cloak.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do," Ron teased. "No, I'm fine. It is nice outside."

"I'm so glad Bill and Fleur came to see you get your award," Hermione mused. "And Victiore was so good; she just slept the whole time."

"It was nice of them to come. I didn't think it would mean that much to me, but it does," Ron confessed.

"It always makes you feel nice when people are proud of you," she replied, swinging Ron's arm and pulling his hand up to her face. She kissed the finger where the strand of thread was tied. "I'm proud of you."

"For getting the award? You got one too, you know."

"Well, I'm proud of you for that. But, I'm proud of you for so many other things. You've been so good with everyone pressuring you to hold Victiore, and little Teddy just adores you. The shop is booming and it's partly because of you. Everyone in the Auror office always talks about how well you are doing with your training. I'm just proud," Hermione said, blushing slightly. "I love you, Ron."

She stopped walking and turned to face him, running her hands up his chest and wrapping her arms around his neck. He leaned in to kiss her softly, placing his hands on her hips lightly and pulling her close to him.

The light began to fade slightly as they kissed. Ron pulled his lips away and looked into Hermione's eyes. She smiled and took his hand again, beginning to walk back toward the castle. He stood rooted to the spot.

"Do you want to stay out longer?" Hermione asked curiously.

Ron turned his eyes toward where she stood. With the castle in the background, and the sun setting in the sky, the whole area look like picture on a postcard; Hermione just added to the beauty of the scenery.

"Ron?"

"Hermione?"

"Yes…" she said, stepping toward him with a curious expression on her face.

He could feel his face growing hot as she looked into his eyes. He pulled her closer to him, reaching into the pocket of his robes. "I love you. I love you more than anything. I… I don't always have the words to say it right… but I do," he muttered, pulling the velvet box out of his robes and holding it in his fist. He looked up into Hermione's eyes, they were alight with curiosity. He took her left hand in his and dropped to one knee, holding out the box in front of her and opening it. She gasped loudly.

"Will you marry me, Hermione Granger?"

Ron's hands shook with excitement and nervousness as the words left his mouth. He stared up at Hermione, watching her look from him to the ring and back again, her hands covering her mouth. Silence passed. "I promise, I will love you forever… I'll be there to take care of you and give you anything you need. I talked with your parents… I wanted to ask them first. Hermione, I won't ever want anyone else but you," he explained. Seconds passed as she stared at him; eyes wide, the breeze fluttering her hair. Ron began to feel panic creep up inside of him. "Hermione?"

"Yes," she whispered.

"Yes?" Ron asked.

"Yes… yes," she said again, wiping tears away from her eyes with her free hand and smiling broadly. Ron grinned and got to his feet, pulling her close to him and pressing his lips to hers softly.

They kissed for a few moments, Hermione tangling her fingers in Ron's hair and he wrapping his arms around her waist. When she released him, he was giving her the most amazing smile she'd ever seen. Happiness seemed to radiate out of him as he took her hand, sliding the beautiful ring on to her finger. Ron interlaced his fingers with hers and pulled her in for another kiss; she paused.

"I want to go inside," she whispered.

"Do you want to tell everyone?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't want anyone to see us. I just want to be with you. We'll have to sneak past," she said. He could see the wheels in her head starting to turn, but stopped her before she could think too much.

"Here," Ron said, pulling out Harry's invisibility cloak and throwing it over the two of them.

"This is Harry's. When did he give you this?" she asked as they began to walk.

"Earlier tonight, he wanted us to be able to get away without trouble," he explained. There were a few inches of space between them; Ron closed it by wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. She smiled widely.

They strode unnoticed past the great hall, and up the stairs to Gryffindor tower, which was unlocked so visitors could come and go as they pleased. McGonagall had already told Hermione she would be able to stay in the suite she used as head girl, which is directly where she headed.

When they were inside, Hermione shut the door as Ron pulled the cloak off of them. He looked around the room, noting it was not much different than when Hermione stayed in it. He tossed the cloak aside and turned back around to face his fiancé.

"Ron?"

"Hmm?" Ron muttered, as he walked back over to where Hermione stood and placed his hands on her waist.

Hermione swallowed, mustering up her courage as she looked into Ron's piercing blue eyes. "Don't stop," she whispered.

Ron tilted his head curiously, a confused expression crossing his face. Hermione trailed her hand down toward her thigh and removed her wand from the inside of her stocking; she flicked it twice, listening as the door locked behind her and the outside sounds around the room were suddenly extinguished. She set her wand on the dresser next to the door, and took a step closer to Ron. Her face felt hot, blood rushed into her cheeks; but she could no longer hold back the longings that were stirring within her core.

"Don't stop," she whispered again. She brought her hands around to the back of her dress, and gently pulled the zipper down its tracks. When finished, she pulled the straps of the dress over her shoulders and down her arms, inhaling sharply as the dress slid over her skin and onto the floor. Her eyes flickered to Ron's face, and she had to bite her lip not to laugh at his expression. His eyes were wide as they watched her, his expression shocked, but also hungry and intense as she moved closer to him. She brought her hands around to her back again, unclasping the hooks of her bra and letting it fall to the floor next to the dress. She toed off her shoes, noticing as she did the difference in her and Ron's heights. Her forehead was level with his lips, and she could feel his breath against her skin as she pressed her near naked body against him. She slid her hands up his chest, to the buttons on his shirt, and began to unfasten them. When she finished, she brought her hands up to his shoulders and slid the sleeves down over his arms, letting the shirt fall to the floor behind him.

It was at that moment that Ron seemed to come to his senses. He brought one hand to her back and tangled the other in her hair, pulling her close to him and kissing her with such intensity that she swayed on her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tip toes, feeling the hand that was in her hair move down her back so he could lift her up slightly. He moved over to the edge of the bed and set her on her feet again. She released her grip on his neck, trailing her fingers down his chest, over his stomach, and to the waist of his trousers. As she worked on the button and zipper, she felt him toe off his own shoes as she had hers. When the button had been unclasped, her hands started to shake slightly as she tugged them over his hips, letting them slide to the floor to join his shoes. He stepped out of them and tangled his hands in her hair once more, her palms pressing against his chest.

Shocked by the things that had happened in the past few moments, Ron gave in to the urge he had to sit down on the bed; the pace of his breathing combined with the sight of Hermione standing in only her knickers and stockings in front of him was making him feel dizzy. He stared up at Hermione, who trailed her thin fingers through his hair and bit her lip nervously. He watched as she pulled her hair out of the twist, the curls tumbling down over her shoulders. His eyes trailed down her half naked figure, taking in the creamy color of her skin that was in stark contrast to the chocolate color of her hair and the dark pink color of her nipples. He couldn't for the life of him ever see how she could feel self conscious; she had the most amazing figure he'd ever seen. She took a step closer to him, and he became fascinated by the way her stomach rounded into her hips. Trailing his hands up the outside of her thighs and over her backside, he pulled her close and began to plant kisses all along her stomach, enjoying the way she sighed each time his lips touched her. Inevitably, his fingers began to trace their way over the line of her knickers; he tugged at the fabric with his teeth, hesitating slightly as he imagined removing them from her hips.

"Don't stop," she whispered.

He brought his hands to one of her legs, pulling off one of her stockings and then moving on to the other. Moving his hands along the smooth skin of her legs, he brought them back up to her waist and gently tugged the fabric of her underwear over her hips, down her legs, and past her ankles. He sat back up and immediately resumed his kissing of her stomach, enjoying the feel of her bare skin against his lips. His hands moved over the soft skin of her backside and thighs; he nestled his face against her and inhaled deeply, breathing in her scent. Once again, Ron opened his eyes to feast upon the completed vision he had so often imagined. He could feel her hands shaking as she ran her fingers through his hair, and her breathing had increased in pace in response to the new exploration he was taking. He moved further back on the bed and pulled her down onto his lap, returning his kisses to her lips and sliding his hands along the exquisite curves of her body.

Hermione felt her breathing turn from gentle sighs to increasingly rapid pants as Ron's hands moved all over her naked figure with feather light touches. His lips were at her neck and she could hear him whispering a mixture of I love yous and other compliments as he explored. She could feel the hardness between his legs, and suddenly understood how that little layer of fabric could be so frustrating.

Before she could move to resolve the issue of Ron's remaining clothing, he had turned and laid her gently back against the pillows, his mouth meeting hers again with such intensity that she groaned aloud. She felt him removing the only article of clothing that separated them, and when his lips suddenly left hers she gasped at the loss of contact. She meant to sit up and pull him back to her, but she felt his hands moving along her inner thighs and laid back, closing her eyes tightly in anticipation.

Ron again allowed his gaze to fall upon Hermione's naked form that now lay in front of him. He had meant what he'd said to her a few weeks previously: that he wanted to see her, all of her. He traced his fingers along her thighs, feeling her quiver as he moved higher. His lips pressed to the top of her knee, and he nuzzled his face against the soft skin his fingers had just touched. He gazed in amazement at her body and how intricate it was; and though he longed to explore more, he hesitated.

Hermione seemed to sense both his longing and hesitation. "Don't stop," she whispered almost inaudibly. He glanced at her face; her lower lip was clenched between her teeth and her eyes were tightly closed, her fingers twisted the material of the sheets tightly. Obeying her request, he traced his fingers through the folds of skin he had become so familiar with over the past several months. His thumb traced over her clitoris briefly before he moved in closer and replaced it with his warm tongue.

Hermione cried out loudly and arched her back. Ron responded by placing his lips more surely against her and sucking gently, causing her to respond with another cry. She released the bedclothes and twisted her fingers in his hair, shocking herself by pulling him more firmly against her. He slid a finger inside her, but continued to caress her with his tongue and lips as he listened to her gasps of pleasure.

Hermione didn't know how much time had passed, but she felt herself become dizzy with arousal. Ron was too distant, too far away from where she was; she grasped the hand that was laid against her hip, tugging on him until he emerged from his position and slid his body on top of hers. She felt dizzy from his ministrations; dizzy from the intensity of the feelings that were stirring within her core.

"Do you want me to-"

"No… I want…you," she stammered, unable to open her eyes fully. Her hands found his face and pulled his lips to hers, trying to express how she felt through the intensity of her kiss.

Ron ran his fingers through her hair before cupping her face and aligning his body with hers. She slid one of her feet along his calf and adjusted her hips so they were level with his. He opened his eyes, gazing into her chocolate brown ones with so much adoration she felt her cheeks flood with color.

"Make love to me," she whispered.

Ron kissed her gently, moving one hand to her hip and wrapping the other around her shoulder so he rested on his forearm. He slid his hips higher, to meet hers, groaning softly when the head of his penis touched the moisture that was spread between her thighs. He felt his hands shaking as he hitched her bent leg around his hip; his lips quivered as he kissed her once more and, with a single, gentle motion, he slid inside of her.

Ron groaned aloud as the warmness of her body immersed him completely. He heard Hermione cry out softly and felt her tense up around him, the nails of her hand that was pressed against his lower back scratching at his skin. The thought occurred to him that this could possibly be painful for her if she stayed tense, so he gathered every ounce of control he had and held still, kissing her gently and whispering sweet words into her ear. Though he remained still, he was shocked by the intensity of pleasure he felt from being inside her. Every muscle inside his body urged him to move, but he waited, as he had always done, for her to be ready. Slowly she began to relax, her breathing turning from tightened whimpers back to calm and shallow gasps. He kissed her again and gently rocked his hips, groaning again and thrilling with pleasure when she did the same.

For several minutes, Ron moved at a painstakingly slow pace, allowing Hermione to relax further as he pressed deeper inside of her. His first entrance had been a shock; she hadn't expected the sudden sharp pain that spread through her. But he had held still, and it passed; and now as he moved, she found herself responding to his thrusts by rocking her hips up to meet his. She wanted to continue kissing him, but her breathing steadily became more and more labored as he continued. Her mind was blissfully blank; the only thoughts were of Ron's body against hers, his scent washing over her, him buried inside her and creating the most amazing sensations she had ever felt. The voice she heard softly crying his name didn't feel like her own; each time she cried out, he quickened his pace, matching her own cries of pleasure with quiet groans.

Ron felt his control slipping every time Hermione cried out his name. Her legs wrapped around her waist and he could feel her match the pace of his thrusts. He couldn't believe how intense the feeling was, how her warm tightness pressed in all around him; the friction created when he moved causing his stomach to tighten and chills to race up his back. Months of patience had paid off, but he didn't know how much longer he would last.

Hermione's cries suddenly increased in volume, her hands which had been holding on to his waist now moved to his hips and she pulled him against her. He thrust harder, the sound of her groans were like a stimulant to his already overly assailed senses. There was the feeling of rhythmic contractions from within her body that matched the pace of her cries, and he could no longer hold back. His voice seemed to break as it left his throat, and as she arched her back and rocked her hips into his, he collapsed against her, still moving as the waves of pleasure crashed over him again and again.

The next few moments were silent, the room filled only with the sounds of their breathing as it slowed. Hermione's legs were still wrapped tightly around Ron's hips; his head lay against her shoulder, face nestled in her neck where he could breathe in the scent of her skin. He didn't ever want to move, he wanted to stay within her, right in this position, for all time. It seemed she shared the same emotions, as she made no effort to move away from him.

After a few more minutes, he lifted his head and brought his lips to hers, kissing her softly. Her hands twisted in his hair and she sighed. Ron rolled onto his side, removing himself from her but pulling her with him into the security of his arms. Simultaneously, they both began to kick at the cover they were laying on, laughing lightly when they realized what the other was doing. Ron stood up and Hermione scooted toward the top of the bed as he pulled the duvet down. He lay down next to her, pulling the cover over them as she slid next to him and snuggled into his chest. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and interlaced their fingers with his other hand, examining the ring around her finger with a smile. She gazed up at him, her warm brown eyes bright, but glazed with tiredness.

Ron kissed her softly, cupping her face with his hand. "I love you, Hermione," he said as he brushed his thumb along her cheekbone.

Hermione smiled gently and kissed him again. "I love you," she replied. She snuggled against his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around her, drifting off to sleep as the feeling of her skin against overwhelmed him with serenity.


	30. The Storm Begins

The Storm Begins

"The Space Between" Dave Matthews Band

* * *

Warm sunlight peeked its way through the curtains, bringing small amounts of light into the room at the top Gryffindor tower. The sleeping figure of a girl began to stir, shrugging her shoulders and rolling onto her other side. The figure next to her followed, throwing a long arm over her waist and pulling her close. His face nestled into her thick curls and breathed deeply.

"Is your watch on?" Hermione muttered.

Ron sighed and glanced at his wrist. "'s only 8:30," he replied thickly. He pulled Hermione closer to him and brushed her hair aside, pressing his lips to the soft skin of the back of her neck. He breathed deeply, the cinnamon-vanilla scent of her skin washed over him like an ocean wave; it was caffeine to his senses, his whole body suddenly tense and alert. Ron slid his hand over Hermione's rib cage, along the indent of her waistline, and over the curve of her hips. He pulled her hips more surely against his own, nipping at her shoulder when she inhaled sharply.

Hermione gasped; the feeling of Ron's warm breath against the bare skin of her back and him pulling her hips closer to his pelvis made the chill in the air disappear instantly. She responded to his touch by arching her back, her backside pressing against his growing erection.

Ron growled, his voice rough and husky. He slid his body away from hers and tugged gently on her hips, rolling her partly onto her back. Hermione gave him a shy smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him again and settling himself between her legs. Ron kissed her fiercely, one of his hands wrapping around her shoulders and the other sliding along the outside of one thigh. He slid his hips closer to hers, his erection rubbing against her clitoris lightly and causing her to gasp. Ron adjusted himself and slid inside her for the second time, a moan emerging from his throat in response to the sensation he experienced and the sound Hermione's voice sighing his name.

There was no hesitation this time; Hermione felt her back arch in response to the pace of Ron's thrusts. He pressed himself higher so his body hovered over hers, their hips the only parts that remained connected. Hermione bent her knees and let her legs roll back, the motion causing Ron to move deeper inside her, and both of them cried aloud. Her hands pressed against his chest as she watched him, enraptured by the way his brow furrowed in concentration, the way his skin flushed with color, and the way he grasped the outside of one of her thighs with his palm. He moved to rest on his forearm as he hitched her leg up higher, pressing even deeper into her and making her cry out again.

Minutes passed and Ron's senses became numb to his surroundings; he was only aware of Hermione's body beneath his; the only sound he could recognize was her voice sighing his name, the only feeling that mattered was her skin against his. Nothing he had ever experienced in the world compared to the sensations racing throughout his body. Ron opened his eyes to try and comprehend everything that was happening. Hermione's eyes were closed, one of her legs hugged his hips to hers, and the other was grasped in his hand as he lifted it slightly higher and thrust against her. Her chest rose and fell rapidly with the pace of her breathing, and he became fascinated by the way her breasts swayed each time he moved. But her face was what caused him to lose control. As he watched, she squeezed her eyes shut tightly and parted her lips, the most glorious sound he ever heard leaving her throat. She leaned her head back, her dark curls spread all around her, and arched her back up into his thrusts. He moved quicker as rhythmic contractions squeezed all around him, increasing the friction and heat he was already feeling. Ron's own orgasm rose and crashed over him. He called out her name and continued to move, bracing himself each time another jolt of pleasure rocked through him. He was vaguely aware of her nails scratching against the skin of his chest as she came, cries of ecstasy leaving her lips. He collapsed against her, breathing heavily and sliding against her skin, which was now slick with sweat. He laid his head against her chest, cupping one of her breasts with his hand and rubbing the pad of his thumb over the nipple. Hermione's fingers threaded through his hair lightly, causing shivers to run down his spine as they relaxed.

"I could sleep again," he muttered after a few moments of silence.

"I could as well," she sighed. "But your mum will be worried if we don't show up at the Burrow for lunch. I wouldn't put it past her to come back here and search for us," Hermione said with a light laugh.

"I suppose. 'Course, we could test your theory and just stay here," he laughed, lifting his head to look at her.

"Be my guest," she scoffed. "I'm not sure I want to be in the room when your mother comes storming in looking for you." Ron rolled to the side, letting Hermione sit up and stretch. He admired the curve of her spine as she stretched her arms over her head. She leaned down to kiss him, giggling when he attempted to pull her back down next to him. He watched in awe as she stood, completely unashamed, and walked to the private bath that was connected to the Head's room. Ron kicked the covers off of himself, rolling onto his back and sprawling out across the bed, the memories of last night and this morning washing over him.

"Could you help me?" Hermione called quietly a few moments later. Ron turned his head to see her standing in the doorway, her hair wet from the shower and soap suds clinging to the curves of her figure. He jumped to his feet and rushed over to the doorway, grinning in response to her laughter as he picked her up and pulled her back into the water.

"I could get used to this," he whispered, pulling her lips to hers and wrapping his arms around her now slick waist.

"I'm glad," she laughed.

******************************

"It's not like them to be late," Mrs. Weasley was saying as she stared down the lane leading to the Burrow. "Perhaps we should send a message to someone…"

"Mum, they're fine. I'll bet they stopped off at Grimmauld Place to drop something off," Ginny explained, though she felt curious as to her brother's and Hermione's whereabouts.

"And you are sure they stayed at the castle last night?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "I didn't see them this morning at breakfast, nor when we left."

"Well, you didn't see Harry and me either until right before you left, but we were there," Ginny reminded her mother.

Mrs. Weasley sighed and glanced down the lane again. Baby Victiore started to fuss at that moment, and that distracted Ginny's mother instantaneously. Ginny watched as Fleur picked up the baby from the bassinette that was seated in the center of the living room. Mrs. Weasley peeked over her shoulder and Ginny heard her offering to change her before Fleur set to nursing.

Ginny happened to glance out the window at that moment to see Hermione and Ron appear at the end of the lane. They set off in a hurried walk toward the house, both of them looking a little flustered at their lateness. The door opened, and they stepped inside, smiling shyly at everyone who greeted them.

"We were beginning to wonder!" Mrs. Weasley called from the other room. Ginny watched as Hermione flushed a bright red and Ron shuffled his feet. A few seconds later, Mrs. Weasley emerged and handed the baby back to Fleur who sat down on the couch next to Bill. "I didn't see either of you this morning at the castle; I was about to send a message to someone," she scolded, glancing at Ron more than Hermione.

"Yeah, where have you two been?" George asked curiously.

"Oh, we ran into Slughorn and he was talking us up for hours it felt like, then we ran into Neville before we left, and of course had to stop by Grimmauld Place to drop off the medals. Oh, goodness, it's just been crazy this morning," Hermione stuttered at top speed. Ginny glanced at Harry out of the corner of her eye; he was watching their friends with the same mutual curiosity as everyone else in the room.

"Oh, it's so lovely outside! The sun is warm; will we be eating out there? Molly, do you need help with anything? I'd be glad to help out with something! Oh, I didn't see you there, Angelina, how are you?" Hermione stammered. In a rush to get to Mrs. Weasley's side, Hermione had bumped into Angelina, who gave her the same bemused look they all were laying on her.

Ron had wandered to Harry's side, and was now engaging him in a rather enthusiastic conversation as well. Ginny glanced at Harry and nodded toward the door, mouthing to him to take Ron outside for a minute. Harry nodded back, "Let's go get the tables set up, shall we?"

"Right! Tables, that sounds great," Ron said, looking slightly relieved to get out of the house. George grinned and followed after them. Angelina watched as they walked away before moving into the living room to talk with Fleur about how the baby was doing. Once everyone was engaged in other tasks, Ginny seized her chance.

"Hermione, could you come help me with something? I've been trying to finish this Skele-Gro potion up to keep with me during practice, and it's just been a nightmare," she said.

"Really? I didn't know you were making something… Sure, I'd love to help! Where is it?"

"It's up in my room," Ginny said with a grin as she walked towards the stairs. Hermione followed her, walking lightly on her feet. Ginny had to stifle a laugh when Hermione walked into her room and began to gush about how things had changed.

"Gracious, it feels like it's been forever since I've been in here," she commented upon after perusing her former cot and sheets for a few moments. "Remember the night we were messing around with that hair coloring charm, and my hair ended up that awful black color?"

"Yes, I had forgotten about that," Ginny said, digging through the bag she had stashed under her bed. "Here we are; drink this," she said, tossing Hermione a small vial of a purple elixir.

Hermione caught the vial and glanced at it curiously. "What is this? I thought you were making Skele-Gro?"

"That, my friend, is a contraceptive potion… I'm assuming you neglected to remember-"

"Merlin's Pants!" Hermione squealed. She opened the vial and downed the elixir without asking any further questions. The sensation was strange as the potion settled in her stomach; warmth spread throughout her abdomen and then ceased, leaving her feeling a little calmer than she had been.

Hermione's senses suddenly came back to her. "Hang on… who - who says I needed a contraceptive potion?" she asked, an indignant tone creeping into her voice.

"Well… considering the way you took it without a second thought, I'd say you did," Ginny said with a sly grin.

Hermione paused. "Touché," she muttered. "Er… I'm guessing I was acting a bit odd downstairs. We were late… and we didn't want a lot of questions, so I think we both over reacted. Do you think it was obvious to everyone what happened?"

"No, I honestly don't. I think they probably thought it was strange, but that will be explained once you announce the engagement," Ginny said matter-of-factly.

Hermione gave her a stern look, but then smiled, glancing at the diamond ring around her finger. "Well, I can't put anything past you can I?"

"'Course not; Ron showed me the ring a while back, so I knew it was just a matter of time. I had figured out the engagement by the way you acted, but you confirmed the other part by taking that potion," Ginny said, laughing as Hermione gave her another stern glance.

"Ginny Weasley, I swear…" she said shaking her head, but laughing lightly.

"So…"

"So…" Hermione repeated, narrowing her eyes.

"What… well…" Ginny muttered. "I've got to ask, and please leave out the intricate details for Merlin's sake… but, how was it?"

Hermione smiled and stared out the window. "Well… shocking in some ways. I had decided earlier yesterday that I was ready… so, Ron proposing was a bit of a surprise. It came much easier for me than I expected; I was so thrilled," she said, blushing slightly. She paused, and Ginny sat in silence, a whimsical look on her face. "I can't even tell you how happy I felt when he asked. He asked my parents and everything first, it was very sweet. And when we… it was just perfect," she sighed. Ginny smiled and nodded her head, glancing out the window and leaning n her knees.

"It did hurt, at first…" Hermione muttered after a few moments of silence.

"Hurt?" Ginny asked, sitting up a little straighter.

"Well, yes, it hurt. I mean, when you have something inside-"

"I said leave out the intimate details!" Ginny shouted, causing Hermione to jump. But then she chuckled and shook her head, watching as Ginny cringed and shuddered. "I guess I didn't realize that… er… Well, I suppose that makes sense," Ginny conceded.

"Yes, it does make sense, when you consider your anatomy. Anyway, after that it was…wonderful. I can't really explain it…" Hermione paused, trailing off as a shy smile spread across her face.

"Okay, I think that'll be enough then," Ginny said, grinning as well. "Wow, I thought I was the ambitious one out of the two of us."

"Yes… so did I, to be honest," Hermione conceded while Ginny laughed.

"I suppose we should get downstairs before they start asking more questions. I would suggest you announce that today, just to take the suspicion off you," Ginny advised, indicating Hermione's ring.

"Hang on," Hermione said suddenly. "Why on Earth did you have a contraceptive potion if you have no need to use it?"

"Because I _thought _I was going to have a need, and I turned out to be wrong; but I kept it just in case," Ginny explained with a shrug.

Hermione nodded. "Thank you, I can't believe I forgot all about that. Ginny?"

"Yes?" Ginny asked with a smile.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered. "You've always been there for me to confide in, and I don't think I've ever told you how much it meant. I probably would have kept all this inside, but you've helped me realize that it feels better to share it," Hermione explained.

Ginny smiled. "Right back at you; being surrounded by males kind of forced us to bond, but I'm glad about that because I probably wouldn't have gotten the chance to know you if it weren't for all those bloody idiots," she said with a laugh. "And I would have been missing out on a very rewarding, amusing, and supportive friendship," she said quietly.

Hermione smiled and looked at the floor. "You'll stand up with me, wont you?" she asked quietly.

Ginny smiled, moving away from the door and wrapping her arms around her friend. "'Course I will, only if you'll do the same for me," she said quietly. Hermione returned the embrace, nodding as they squeezed each other and thought of how far things had come for them both.

**********

"Well, I'm assuming she said yes," Harry asked lightly as he and Ron walked around the yard of the Burrow.

"What? Yeah… yeah, she did," he grinned. "Scared me to death before hand, though. I asked her, and for the first time in all the years I've known Hermione, she didn't have an answer," he laughed.

"What do you mean?"

"She froze; she stood there with her hands over her mouth, and didn't say anything for a few seconds. I started to panic; then she said yes," Ron explained, smiling as he remembered the feeling of relief that had washed over him when she had said the word.

"Congrats, mate" Harry said, clapping Ron on the back. "I'd suggest you tell everyone today, they're going to wonder why you were late and what was up with you two."

"Yeah, we figured that as well. We acted kind of odd, I suppose," Ron said, turning a fiery shade of red. He paused, glancing at Harry who was watching him curiously. He looked around to make sure they were truly alone. Harry chuckled lightly and lifted his butterbeer to his lips just as Ron spoke.

"We… well, I suppose we broke tradition and decided not to wait any longer – you all right?" Ron asked, now clapping Harry on the back. He had promptly choked on the drink he was taking when he realized what Ron was saying.

Harry wiped his mouth on his sleeve, "Merlin's Beard, that was a bit unexpected. Are you serious?" Harry whispered in a shocked voice, watching as Ron nodded and flushed with color. "Wow, I didn't expect that. I thought Hermione was … still nervous, and wanted to wait it out."

"I guess she changed her mind," Ron shrugged, but then he grinned smugly. "Or my animal magnetism charmed it out of her."

"Shut it," Harry said with a laugh. "Well… congrats on that part as well, I suppose. Do you congratulate your friends when they lose their virginity?"

Ron shrugged. "We didn't congratulate George; we just took the Mickey out of him."

"Well, I'd like to take the Mickey out of you, but that would probably involve me teasing you about situations that I don't want to picture you or Hermione in," he said with a shudder.

"No?" Ron asked quizzically.

"No!" Harry said. "Hermione's like my sister, I told you that! You want me to start going on about Ginny and-"

"No! No, that won't be necessary," Ron said holding up a hand. "Besides, you're barred from any of that with my sister until you marry her… or something," he sputtered, giving Harry a stern look.

"Oh, yeah, that's right! You're supposed to wait until you're married. I forgot – so did you, apparently…bloody hypocrite," Harry said with a laugh as he took another drink of butterbeer. Ron flushed a darker red, but laughed along with him.

It was that moment that the rest of the family chose to come out side, several people carrying plates of food and talking. Hermione and Ginny filed out last, discussing something that neither Ron nor Harry could hear. When they got closer, Hermione looked up at Ron and grinned shyly. She then turned her eyes to Harry just in time for him to burst out laughing the moment color flooded her cheeks. She rolled her eyes and moved to sit next to Ron, ignoring Harry's snickers.

"Why are you laughing?" Ginny asked, settling herself down next to Harry and watching him try to contain himself.

"Oh, nothing… Ron, could you grab me a plate?" Harry asked. Ron passed him a plate and Harry grinned, "Thanks for not waiting any longer, I was afraid you were never going to do it," Harry said lightly. Ginny snickered as Ron blushed and Hermione rolled her eyes, trying to hold her head up proudly.

Lunch began with no more mention of Ron's and Hermione's activities. They kept low profiles as they watched Fleur and Bill coo at their newborn, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley grin proudly at their children, George and Angelina tease each other as they discussed their upcoming wedding. Finally, as Mrs. Weasley waved her wand to clear the plates, Ron cleared his throat. Everyone turned their gaze to the couple and watched as they both flushed a bright red.

"I … well, this will be round three of this, and it probably doesn't come as a surprise," he said bluntly, dodging Hermione's elbow with a laugh. He squeezed her hand tightly and pulled her out of her seat. "Last night, I asked Hermione to be my wife," Ron said quietly, before kissing the back of her hand lightly. "She agreed, after nearly giving me a heart attack mind you," he teased when Hermione scoffed.

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley gasped, smiling broadly and placing her hand over her chest. "Oh, goodness! Well, Ronald, it's about time I'd say," she laughed as she got up and moved over to hug them both. The rest of the table cheered & clapped, George and Bill whistling at Ron as he had done to them during their announcements. Mrs. Weasley kissed Ron on top of his head and squeezed Hermione tightly before leaning down to examine the ring Ron had purchased. Mr. Weasley also stood and made his way over to his son and his new fiancé, hugging them both tightly.

Harry grinned down at Ginny, who was smiling in an amused manner. George sighed loudly and leaned back in his chair. "It's about bloody time, they've been acting like a married couple since age fourteen," he muttered quietly making the other half of the table laugh lightly.

***************

June faded into July; Harry's twentieth birthday passed uneventfully and Ginny's followed eleven days later much in the same manner. The only event was the usual small celebration at the Burrow; but the following day, Harry woke up and decided that he wanted to take Ginny on a small trip.

"Can't you tell me where we're going?" Ginny asked, gripping Harry's hand tightly as he led her outside. He had blindfolded her, and told her nothing of his plans, which made her excited but nervous at the same time.

"You'll see," he said, as he wrapped an arm around her. Pressing darkness engulfed her, and when the sensation ceased, she felt Harry's lips press against hers as he removed the blindfold from around her eyes.

Ginny looked around at the scenery that had replaced the streets outside of Grimmauld Place. They were in a small village it seemed, though the streets were quiet for a Saturday afternoon. Little houses lined the avenue they stood on, and there were trees all along the edge of the sidewalks, which were covered in white flowers. The scene was rather romantic, but she was still confused as to where they were. "This is pretty; where are we though?" she asked, looking up into Harry's eyes.

Harry smiled lightly. Ginny noticed as he did that his eyes were happy and sad at the same time. He took her hand and began to walk down the street. He didn't say anything, and she sensed he was waiting for her to figure out their location before he spoke. They walked hand in hand for a few blocks until they reached what appeared to be the town square. Ginny could see a graveyard across from where they were standing, past the small shops and pubs that now lined the street. Her eyes were drawn to a tall obelisk that stood in the middle of the square. It appeared to be a memorial of some type; she could see names inscribed into the obsidian stone.

Harry squeezed her hand and walked closer to the monument. As soon as they stepped into its shadow, the monument changed from the obelisk into a statue of three people sitting on a bench: A tall man with glasses and untidy hair, a pretty young woman with long hair that lay over her shoulders, and a baby that was seated on their laps. Ginny moved closer to the statue, gasping slightly as she realized what it represented.

"We're in Godric's Hollow," she said quietly; Harry's silence confirmed her observation. She examined the statue for a few moments before turning back to him. He was staring past her up at the figures, a sad smile on his face. She walked forward and took his hands in hers, smiling as his eyes came back into focus and he smiled down at her.

"Your house?" she asked. He nodded and began to walk in a different direction. They didn't talk much as they walked, mostly just observing the houses that lined the street until, at last, they reached a corner and Harry led her onto a street that at first appeared to be a dead end. As they walked closer, she could see the ruins of a house standing just beyond the end of the sidewalk. She approached cautiously, a million emotions running through her head.

"Walk closer," Harry said, letting her move ahead of him as he followed behind.

She reached the gate that surrounded the house, noting how the grass had grown over the rubble that was strewn over the lawn. The upper floor had been blown apart, and Ginny cringed as she thought of what it represented. She became curious and wanted to investigate further, but when she touched the fence, a sign popped out of the grass that blocked her path. Ginny read the words engraved and sighed to herself; she felt sad as she observed the ruins of Harry's childhood home, but found herself laughing lightly at the graffiti that littered the sign, noting that some additions had been made since the war ended.

"Look at this one," she said with a chuckle before taking Harry's hand and pulling him forward to point out a comment written in an obviously female hand.

"_Harry Potter: Sexiest hero since Gilderoy Lockart_"

Harry scoffed, "I'm being compared to that git? Great," he muttered, chuckling lightly. Ginny grinned before pulling out her wand, using it to carve the words "love you" into the sign. She stepped away to admire her handiwork, feeling Harry's arms snake around her waist as she did so. As he held her, she thought about what it meant to her to be standing here. The broken house in front of her was testament to everything she'd ever read and all the stories she'd ever heard. She was hit with the incredible realization that even after being orphaned, raised by Muggles who despised his existence, and hunted for years by an indescribable evil, that it was more than a miracle that Harry was still standing and able to love everyone around him so completely.

"Thank you for showing me this," she whispered, wiping a tear away from her cheek.

"I realized how much you needed to see it after we looked at baby pictures of you yesterday," he said quietly. "I don't have any baby pictures; this is all I can show you."

Ginny turned around and looked into Harry's eyes, noting a wide range of emotions within them. She kissed him lightly, sighing against his lips when he pulled her close and squeezed her tightly. "This is more than enough, Harry," she replied quietly.

He smiled and set her back on her feet. "Let's get something to eat; I think I saw a little diner back in the square," he said, taking her hand as they began to walk again. They ate lunch at the diner, turning their discussion to what they could do to fill up the afternoon. Harry wanted to spend the next few days with Ginny and Ginny only; she was set to return to Holyhead next weekend for three weeks of training before the Harpies began their season. After that, she would return to Grimmauld Place every Friday through Sunday, but would remain in Holyhead during the week to train with the team. Ron's proposal to Hermione had gotten Harry thinking. He knew Ginny was the only one he would want by his side for the rest of his life, but how to ask her was another thing. She seemed very content at the moment; she enjoyed her freedom to stay with her team during the season and come back to Grimmauld Place to rest. He worried that proposing to her would make her feel tied down, like she had a duty to fulfill as a wife. He wanted her with him every day; last season had been rough on him when she was gone, and this one was going to be worse he knew. Even during this afternoon, as they laughed and talked, it struck him just how much he would miss her when she was away.

After eating, they went back to the park and sat admiring the statue. Talk turned from themselves to the plans of their friends and family; George and Angelina were planning their small ceremony for September the ninth and everything settling into place.

"Angelina's not stressed at all," Ginny said. "She's just calm as can be, got it all under control. I think mum wishes they were hosting a bigger event, but she also knows that if she pushes it George will just run off and elope," she explained rolling her eyes.

"What about Hermione? Has she had any thoughts about how she wants to do things? Or does she have it already planned out?" Harry asked, picking up Ginny's hand and examining her fingers.

"Not yet, she did tell me that she and Ron had discussed next May as the month."

"Any particular reason?"

"They both like spring; and she said May is when they first kissed, so it seemed appropriate. Ron hasn't confided any of this to you?" Ginny teased.

"Right; I expect he'll leave a majority of the planning to her. If she woke up and decided she wanted to elope, he'd probably throw a party just over that decision," Harry laughed. "What about you? How do you feel about big weddings?"

Ginny sighed. "I haven't really given it much thought," she confessed. "I know I want the dress and all that, but really I just want to be with…" she trailed off, thinking "_you_" to herself; but refrained from saying it aloud.

"Me too," Harry said quietly. Ginny smiled and flushed slightly over the way he was examining her hands.

Harry's eyes turned to Ginny's; for a few moments they sat observing each other, smirking as though they could read the others thoughts. Harry leaned in and kissed Ginny softly, bringing his hands up to cup her face. She rested her hands along the sides of his neck, sighing deeply as he parted her lips and deepened the kiss.

Ginny could feel a small change in the way Harry kissed her; if thoughts of the upcoming nuptials of everyone around her weren't in the back of her head she never would have noticed it, but as it was, she felt as though he was trying to tell her through this kiss that he wanted her forever.

She leaned closer, throwing her legs over his so she was practically seated on his lap, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Harry's fingers threaded their way through her long hair before trailing down her back, causing her to sigh as tremors of pleasure ran through her body.

"Where are Ron and Hermione today?" Ginny whispered, pausing the kiss and resting her forehead against Harry's.

"I think with her parents," Harry replied.

Ginny nodded. "Take me home," she whispered, snuggling her face into his neck. She felt him stand up and pull her to her feet, and she closed her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and turned into the darkness.

The compression experienced during Apparition had barely ceased when Ginny felt Harry push her away from him roughly. As she stumbled backwards, time slowed to almost a standstill allowing her to witness several things at once.

Harry's wand had already been pulled from his pocket; she felt a shield charm surround her completely before he turned his back on her and waved it violently in the opposite direction. She watched a jet of red light fly through the air at a tall figure in a black cloak that was standing across the street from where they had appeared. The spell was blocked, and the figure raced toward Harry with its arm outstretched; she heard the figure shout an unintelligible spell and saw Harry throw himself out of the way as the jet of white light flew just over his left shoulder. He had just managed to right himself when two more figures appeared behind him, both of them shooting what she recognized as stunning spells in his direction.

"HARRY!" Ginny screamed, she meant to race forward but was impeded by the shield around her. She pulled her own wand from her pocket and muttered the counter-charm to remove the shield around her. As soon as she did so, a voice behind her shouted "_STUPEFY_" and she was forced to throw herself on the sidewalk to avoid the jet of red light that had been shot in her direction.

"_Impedimenta_!" she screeched, aiming her wand not at the figure behind her, but at the two that were bearing down on Harry in the middle of the road. The curse hit its target just as she was grabbed roughly by a pair of hands and pulled to her feet. Reacting instinctively, she threw an elbow into the face of whomever was pulling her up and pulled herself free of its grip. The figure grunted as her elbow made contact, but as it reached for her again she cried "_Incarcerous_!" and watched as the figure was bound from head to foot in black ropes.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" Harry cried, aiming his wand at the figure in front of him just as the other one wrapped its arms around his shoulders and tackled him to the ground. His spell hit the target, but he was now busy struggling with whoever had tackled him. Harry felt his glasses fall off his face as his head hit the pavement, but he struggled against the arms that were pinning him to the ground. He managed to roll onto his side and attempt to punch the figure, but it was prepared and pulled out a wand, aiming it right at his face.

"_STUPEFY_!"

The sound of Ginny's voice shouting the spell was much closer than Harry had expected. As the body of the figure slumped against him, he turned his head to see the blurry outline of her figure running toward him. He pushed against the dead weight of the body, allowing her to help him move whoever it was off of him. She handed him his glasses, and placed her hands along his face; he could feel her shaking as she examined him.

"Are you all right?" she asked in a panicky voice.

"Are you?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied, nodding her head. "What happened… wha- where did they come from?"

Harry shook his head. "We've got to get help, I don't want them to wake up. I've got to send a message," he sputtered, trying to get to his feet. He raised his wand and muttered a quick request for help before muttering "_Expecto Patronum_!" and watching three stags erupt from the end of his wand. To his surprise, Ginny had wandered away from him and was binding the other figures with black ropes from her wand. He grabbed the stunned figure by its cloak and dragged it onto the sidewalk in front of Grimmauld Place, laying it next to a fourth one he hadn't seen.

"Did … did this one attack you?" He asked, staring down at the figure who was struggling against the bonds she must have conjured.

"Yeah," she replied, walking over to join him, with the other two figures floating behind her. She removed the levitation spell and watched as the figures tumbled onto the ground.

Two were stunned, one was frozen, and the other was struggling violently against the bonds. Harry reached down and pulled off its hood to reveal the twisted face of Thorfinn Rowle scowling back at him. Harry grimaced; he automatically assumed the others were going to be Death Eaters as well, but why the sudden attack?

Ginny gasped as Harry pulled her behind himself. A loud crack echoed all around them and the figures of Lansing, Tim and Sabrina appeared. Harry was about to launch into an explanation of what happened, but Lansing interrupted him.

"You two as well?" he asked, his voice weary.

"As well?" Harry asked curiously.

"Ron and Hermione are down at the office with Molly and Arthur," Tim said. "They were attacked this morning right after you left," he explained.

"Are they all right?" Harry asked as Ginny gasped loudly.

"Yes, they're a little shaken up, but they're fine," Tim said. "Whoever it was stunned Hermione right off, so Ron was trying to protect her and fight them off at the same time. He stunned one of them, but there were three others and it was too much. He managed to Apparate to the Ministry and ran into Lansing and explained what happened. We were out trying to find the other three when we got your message."

While Tim was explaining this, Sabrina and Lansing had moved over and unmasked the other three figures who had attacked Harry and Ginny. Marcus Selwyn and Neil Mulciber had joined Rowle in the attack, but the fourth man no one recognized.

"Did you capture the one Ron stunned?" Harry asked.

Sabrina nodded, "His name is Blaine Witherson. Does that sound familiar?" she asked. Harry and Ginny both shook their heads.

"Sabrina, can you take these four to Azkaban? Proudfoot will meet you there; he took Witherson in earlier for questioning," Lansing asked, watching as Sabrina nodded and moved toward the figures and wrapped her arms around two of them and grabbing the other's by their cloaks before vanishing into darkness.

"Harry, Ginny, we'll need you to come down to the office to make a statement. Are you all right to talk?" Lansing asked. Harry nodded, reaching out and taking Ginny's hand gently. He turned on the spot and allowed himself to be engulfed by the darkness.

When the sensation faded, he opened his eyes to see a crowd of people standing outside the Ministry staring up into the sky. Ron, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were amongst them; they had looks of confusion and fear upon their faces.

"Oh my God," Ginny muttered quietly. Harry glanced down at her, watching as her eyes widened with fear and she clasped her hand over her mouth. His eyes finally turned toward the sky and toward what had everyone so focused and scared.

A large, smoky image of a skull was imprinted against the clouds directly above the Ministry. A large serpent slithered through the eye holes out through the mouth, and a large spider sat perched atop the image, its pincers and legs twitching anxiously. It was the Dark Mark, with a twist.

"The Heir of the Dark Lord has arisen!"

The crowd gasped collectively, a few people screamed as the image of the skull spoke in a loud and sinister voice. "We will carry on his mission and all who stand in our way will be destroyed. Those who aided in the destruction of Lord Voldemort will be first; any who oppose our plans will follow. We will not rest until the new order has been established and those of Pure-Blood have reclaimed their rightful place in rule over the Muggles."

There was a crack, Lansing and Tim appeared next to Harry and both looked up at the skull. They were about to ask what was happening when the voice spoke again.

"The power of the Dark Lord lives on through his heir; and his followers have reorganized. Witness now and believe that the war is not over!"

There was a flash of light from the skull and streaks of black smoke descended upon the crowd. Panic ensued; Harry grasped Ginny's hand tightly and pulled her close to him so as not to lose her in the rush. He raised his wand in an attempt to lighten the darkness that had engulfed them all, but it was to no avail. Several loud cracks echoed around and from within the crowd, and more screams erupted as frightened people ran in every direction. Through the darkness, Harry saw Ron and Hermione firing spells at figures that were appearing, but they were blocked. He also saw the figures of Sabrina and Proudfoot being thrown to the ground, and he noticed the faces of Selwyn, Mulciber and Rowle among the cloaked figures. Lansing and Tim raced to aid them, as Ginny and Harry ran toward where her parents and Ron and Hermione stood.

Chaos reigned, the crowd scattered and a few were hit with spells that caused them to fall to the ground and be still. The uninjured raced to help, but were impeded by the attacking figures' spells. Then as suddenly as the assault had began, the voice echoed again over the crowd and the figures vanished, leaving over fifteen injured victims on the ground and confusion through the crowd.

Kingsley was among the crowd, and Harry heard his loud voice issuing orders to take the injured to Mungo's. Lansing grabbed Harry's arm as he moved to help, "Go inside; we need to get organized," he said quietly. Harry nodded and walked toward the door, pulling Ginny with him. Ron, Hermione, and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley followed.

Once inside the Auror office, Harry finally got a chance to look at Ron and Hermione both. Hermione was shaking, her eyes wide and scared and Ron's face was bruised from the attack. He glanced at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who were uninjured but obviously shaken. Ginny was standing behind him, her hair disheveled, but she was alert and at full attention.

"You guys okay?" Harry asked the room at large.

Ron nodded. "You?" he asked, watching as Harry and Ginny nodded. "We just… we just went to walk outside, and there they were. We couldn't do anything, they just-"

"It happened so fast," Hermione muttered. Her face flushed, she looked slightly ashamed. "I'm so sorry, Ron, I just-"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Ron assured her, pulling her close to him and kissing her hand. "They came out of nowhere. I didn't even realize what had happened until that one actually said the spell out loud," he said.

"Mum? Dad? Did anyone attack you?" Ginny asked.

Her father shook his head. "No, but when Ron and Hermione arrived at the Ministry we were just leaving after talking with Kingsley. We sent a message to Bill and Fleur to stay at home, and George and Angie to stay at the shop. We weren't sure how far this was going," he explained.

Ginny nodded and fell silent, her eyes were concerned as she crossed her arms over her chest and sat down in a chair. Lansing and Tim entered the room next, supporting Sabrina and Proudfoot, who looked as though they had been through quite an ordeal. Kingsley followed behind, his face hard and wary.

"Sabrina, Morgan? Are you all right?" he asked as they sat down at their desks. They both nodded, looking slightly ashamed. "Did any kind of a message happen out at Azkaban?"

"No," Sabrina said. "All of a sudden there was a bang, and the ropes just disappeared off of them. Before we knew it the five of them had overpowered us. We fought, obviously, but there were just too many of them," she said, sounding slightly ashamed.

"The voice said it was his heir, do you think he's still alive somehow?" Lansing asked.

Harry shook his head. "No, Voldemort is gone. Whoever this heir is… it's not Voldemort himself."

"How do you know?" Kingsley asked. "Technically wouldn't this mean that part of his soul still lives?"

"My scar doesn't hurt," Harry muttered. The room looked at him curiously. "My scar always hurt, even before Voldemort got his body back. It hurt when he gained power. It hasn't hurt since the final battle; he's gone," he said confidently.

There was silence for a few moments; everyone seemed to be considering his words. "Heir would mean a child w-wouldn't it?" Hermione asked.

"I'm guessing," Kingsley said.

"I can't imagine Voldemort loving anyone enough to have a child," Harry muttered.

"Who says you have to have love to have a baby?" Sabrina asked. "My dad walked out on my mom, never had anything to do with us. You can have a baby without love," she said darkly. They all looked around at each other.

"It was over… why can't it just be over?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"It is over," Harry said. "Whoever this is… we'll find them. We'll stop this. This is much more flamboyant than anything Voldemort ever did, and we know exactly who is involved. They won't get any more power than they have, we'll stop them," he said, glancing around at all of them in turn.

His eyes focused on Ginny at last, watching her expression warily. All he could think about was how badly he wanted her to be safe, and how he wouldn't rest until this was over. He wouldn't stop until he could be completely assured that everyone associated with Voldemort was gone for good; he wouldn't allow the safety that had been established for everyone he cared for be ruined by this heir. Whoever was responsible for today's attack would be behind bars as soon as he could manage. Then he could continue his unspoken plans for his life in the way he wanted, without fear of his lifelong enemy resurfacing ever again.

* * *

A/N: A lot of people have commented to me that the story line started to follow Ron/Hermione over Harry/Ginny. Yes, and when I set out to write the story this is exactly how it flowed in my head. But now it's coming back to Harry/Ginny again, they're coming back I promise. Thank you for your continued reviews, this is my first piece of fiction and it means a lot to me to have the opinions. I appreciate it =)


	31. Cursed

Cursed

"Sulk" - Radiohead

* * *

The next few weeks were frantic for not only the Aurors, but their families and the rest of the Wizarding world at large. Due to the amount of witnesses to the event, Kingsley had no choice but to issue a statement to the Daily Prophet. He made the editor agree that Rita Skeeter was not allowed to cover the story, knowing she would only make things out to be much worse and cause more of a panic. Instead, he chose a member of the Office of Magical Law Enforcement who had an interest in journalism to publish the reports, Evangeline Fabela.

"Eva will be great," Sabrina reassured everyone. "She's fair, she's honest, and she's completely against the persecution of Muggle-borns." Kingsley agreed and assigned her to the story.

"Lucky we have a pre-screener for anyone from Law Enforcement," Ron said to Harry later that afternoon regarding Sabrina's inner knowledge of the department.

"_Re-Emergence of Evil Causes Ministry to Reinstate Precautionary Laws:_

_An attack on the Ministry on Saturday, August 12__th__, has led Minister Shacklebolt to reinstate the precautionary laws that were effective during the last reign of Lord Voldemort._

'_We, unfortunately, have reason to believe that many of Lord Voldemort's followers have reassembled, and are attempting to cause terror among our community again. We are not considering them officially active, but citizens should be on their guard, and refer to the curfew and criminal activity guidelines that will be delivered to their houses later this week," Minster Shacklebolt explained._

_Rumors are abuzz over the claims of an "heir" to the Dark Lord and that he or she has vowed to "not rest until the new order is established." _

"_We haven't had a chance to actively validate these claims that there is a child of Voldemort's amidst us, but the Auror office and the office of Magical Law Enforcement are doing their best to investigate."_

_One of the primary groups threatened are Muggle-born witches and wizards, and their families. Precautionary measures have been taken to advise Muggle-borns and their families of the danger they could possibly face if the threats made by the group are acted upon._

"_We have been working in conjunction with several magical families who have all offered to provide protection to Muggle-born families in their respective areas. It's a great thing, especially with more children entering school this fall," advised Simon Granger, associate head of the Muggle-Born Advocacy Council. "Obviously, we are still looking for more volunteers, so if anyone is interested they should contact the offices about joining the council."_

_Since the council's formation in January, there have been numerous positive actions that have come from their decrees. Many families of Muggle-borns have expressed satisfaction that they now understand what their children are capable of, and witches and wizards have also praised the council's efforts toward increased understanding between both parties. _

_Though with the reemergence of new threats, there is also fear stirring among both communities. Minster Shacklebolt has promised to be open about the ongoing investigation, and has stated he will notify the public both through the press and through the Wizarding Wireless Network channels._

"_In times like these, silence is the enemy. Whatever this new challenge is, we – the public and the ministry together- will stand strong and not allow the peace we have enjoyed the past two years to be disrupted"._

The article was published the Tuesday following the attacks; it was well received by the community, but the situation as a whole had interrupted Harry's plans drastically.

"Harry, I'm not worried about this. I'll be with the team and-"

"You may not be worried, but I am. They didn't just come after me this time, they came after all of us," he was saying to Ginny as he walked her to an arranged Apparition point. "I'm serious about this; I love you, and I want to see you every night, of course… but, until this is resolved, stay with the team until the weekends when I can come get you. I know- I know that you'll be bored on Fridays," he said when she opened her mouth to protest, "but you'll be safer there than you would be sitting at Grimmauld Place."

"I can go to the Burrow, or Shell Cottage; I don't have to stay here all day," Ginny replied defiantly.

"If you come home, stay at one of those places until one of us can be with you," he said. Ginny rolled her eyes; she, again, felt like a child. She looked back up at him with irritated eyes, watching him sigh heavily.

"I'm sorry… I know you probably think I'm overreacting," he muttered. "I really wanted to spend the last few days with you, and just you. But…"

"It can't be helped," Ginny sighed, taking his hand gently.

"I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you, Ginny," he muttered. "I've seen what Tim is like; he suffers… I don't-"

Ginny pressed her lips to his softly, sighing when he hugged her tightly against him. "Nothing is going to happen, just… keep me posted," she said. He smiled and hugged her again. After a few more whispered "I Love You's" and kisses she vanished on the spot to meet up with some teammates in Holyhead.

With Ginny gone, Harry threw himself into the ongoing investigation with such ferocity that he spent several nights sleeping at the office. There was not a trace of anything anywhere. He and Tim searched all the old Death Eater haunts: Malfoy Manner, the Lestrange Residence, and anywhere else they could think of for clues. But it seemed as though the perpetrators of the new attacks had disappeared like smoke in the wind.

Lansing and Kingsley were also working tirelessly attempting to find evidence within the Ministry. From statements they had managed to get while Travers and Jugson were imprisoned, their suspicions of someone working from inside the Ministry had increased tenfold.

"That's bad news, because we cleaned out everyone that we even thought had been associated with the Death Eaters. To think we hired in people that were involved with this new group is very frustrating," Lansing said after completing a very vigorous round of interrogations.

"Have there been any indications that's what happened?" Sabrina asked.

"No, but all these events are connected – they've got to be," Lansing replied.

"The break-in to the office two years ago, the poisonings that followed, and now this," Neville said quietly, counting them off on his fingers. He had been put in charge of developing a readily available antidote to the poison that Harry and Ron had obtained from Travers when he was captured. It had taken quite some time, but he'd finally produced enough antidotes to supply Mungo's and each member of the Auror department with a vial in case they were attacked.

"Do you think they'll start that again?" Harry had asked. "Do we know for sure that this whoever this is was involved with those poisonings? They just stopped so suddenly, it's strange that they would be active then stop for that long, and then come back to the same trick?"

"You'd be surprised," Sabrina muttered darkly. "It's a good way to get people panicking, and it was also something that was undetectable and effective on a mass scale. As far as taking time off, maybe they were waiting for something to happen? Perhaps the council formation triggered it, or the new laws, or even you three receiving the Order of Merlin could have set them off. We won't know until we catch someone," she explained, not looking up from her stack of paperwork.

Tim chuckled. "You amaze me, Sabrina. Your theories are so spot-on, it's frightening," he muttered.

Sabrina raised her eyes and glared at him. "You've known me long enough now to realize that I just think with a criminal mind. If I was going to ignite a reign of terror, I just look at the approach I would take and compare it to the situation," she said defensively.

"I wasn't accusing you of anything, jeeze," Tim muttered in response. "I was just saying; you knew all about Umbridge and how she thought. You've got a gift, I suppose."

His comment on Umbridge and how Sabrina understood her better than anyone seemed to be a bad omen. The first of September was met with several events. New students left for Hogwarts under heavy guard from the Aurors; but as they were trying to protect the students that left other targets open for attack.

Tim, Harry, Lansing and Neville returned to the office after the Hogwarts Express had left Kings Cross only to run into Proudfoot and Sabrina, who were pale and sweaty as they ran into the Atrium.

"What happened to you two?" Lansing asked catching Sabrina as she nearly collapsed in his arms.

"Dementors," Proudfoot muttered. "Fifty or more; they just flew in off the island, like someone invited them. It was insane! All the guards, something happened to them. They just went crazy, I think they've all been poisoned or cursed. They just … lost it, couldn't cast Patronuses or anything. Sabrina and I tried, but there were too many…"

"What did they do?" Lansing asked, concern leaking into his voice.

"The prisoners…they released Umbridge, Travers, and Jugson… everyone we'd arrested earlier. Umbridge stole a wand from one of the guards; she cast some kind of blocking spell that kept us trapped and then Disapparated…" Sabrina explained. "Then the Dementors just left…they just left!"

"Left?" Harry asked.

"Went back to the island, like nothing had happened," Proudfoot said.

Lansing walked with heavy steps up to Kingsley's office to report what had happened, and Kingsley was forced to issue another press release announcing the escape of the prisoners and cautioning the public to be on the lookout for Dementors.

"Death Eaters, Dementors… seems like it's all coming back," Eva said to Harry as she finished getting an update from him and Lansing about the attack and the escape.

"It's not; we're going to stop this before-"

"Harry, the public isn't blaming this on you or anyone else," Eva said cutting him off. Her dark brown eyes seemed to penetrate him as he looked down at his desk. "I think everyone choosing to practice the Dark Arts from now on will just try to outdo what Voldemort did. This is a new world we're living in," she said sadly.

The next few days were hectic; in addition to the workload at the office, George's and Angelina's wedding was to take place amidst the crisis. They scaled down their original planned celebration, and on Saturday, September 9th, the Burrow was crowded with approximately fifty people to celebrate their union.

"With much pleasure, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife," a tall wizard dressed in dark purple robes said as he tapped their hands with wands. The crowd watched as a ribbon shaped line traced its way over their hands before disappearing. George and Angelina kissed, and the crowd cheered.

Ginny had said she couldn't wait to hear Ron's toast, and he didn't disappoint her. She and Hermione sat next to Katie in their apple red dresses and giggled as Ron joked again and again about George and Angelina's relationship.

"Harry and I told you, George, right from the beginning: Don't fraternize with the help. And now look where it's gotten you," he had said, shaking his head and listening to the crowd laugh.

"In all seriousness, though… Yes, George, I have something serious to say; you two are perfect for one another. Angelina, you showed us all during the past two years that you can handle anything our family gives out. And George, there's not much I can say; you've been supportive of all of us as we've grown, and I'm happy for you both. So, here's to the continued laughter and love that you two share, continued success with any adventures you take on, and a long and happy life. Cheers," Ron said, lifting his glass. Everyone drank, but before he sat down he muttered so low that only those at the head table heard him "And if I catch you shagging at the shop, I'm putting a memory charm on myself."

The evening was full of laughter, though an air of sadness did hang over the crowd, and the renewed activity of the Death Eaters seemed to bring old memories to life.

"Today was hard," Ginny said quietly to Harry later on. They were away from the crowd, but could still hear the music playing softly. Harry was holding her on his lap, swaying gently with the rhythm of the song, the feel of his breath on her skin was soothing and stimulating at the same time.

"I know…" he replied quietly; he had also been thinking about Fred recently. Though where Ginny was thinking of how Fred was missed and all the opportunities he would not experience, Harry was still feeling guilty over Fred's death. The recent activities of the new threat had made him feel as though his whole life was to be clouded with the deaths of those he cared about, and that the shadow of Voldemort would follow him through each experience of his life, however long that would be.

"Are you all right?" Ginny asked quietly, tilting her head back to try and look at Harry.

He sighed. "Yes, I'm fine. Today seems bittersweet; and everything else going on just … it weighs on us all," he muttered.

Ginny sat up and straightened herself around, interlacing her fingers through Harry's. "Please tell me you're not blaming yourself for what's going on," she said sternly; Harry could feel his face growing hot. "Harry, this is in no way, shape, or form, your fault. This… heir… whoever they are, is just pulling out all the old tricks the Death Eaters used and trying to make them new. This is nothing that any of us hasn't faced," she said, keeping her brown eyes locked with his.

"It's new because it's not me they're after," Harry replied.

"Well, that should be a relief, right?"

Harry chuckled darkly. "I'd rather have it the other way than put anyone else at risk," he said as he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

But a lingering suspicion had crept into his mind that he was being targeted by the group. Not solely him alone, but it seemed like the primary targets were those closest to him, and therefore, he was the center of it, the cause. He wondered if he was being paranoid, but his suspicions turned out to be correct a little over three weeks after the wedding.

"Get them out! Get them out!" Lansing was screaming. He blasted open another part of the bleachers of Blithe Stadium and began motioning for people to exit. The first Quidditch Match of the season between Wimborne and Holyhead had been interrupted by the appearance of cloaked figures that circled above the pitch, every so often firing down spells which were blocked by Aurors and other members of the ministry who had arrived to assist.

Harry had sent a message to the office when the attacks first started, knowing he wouldn't be able to hold off the mass of figures himself. By the time the other Aurors had arrived, the crowd was in a state of panic; the assailants had placed an anti-apparition jinx around the stadium and prevented everyone from leaving. Several audience members had already been injured, and the first priority became to evacuate people in order to get them out of harm's way.

Members of both teams were on their brooms, attempting to stun or knock off the cloaked figures as they were fighting. To Harry's dismay, Ginny was one of them, though he had to admit he was impressed with her flying ability as she avoided spell after spell in her attempts to bring them down.

"_Desino Cado_!" Tim cried, waving his wand at a falling body that Ginny had knocked off its broom. "Nice one, kid!"

Neville ran to imprison the man who had fallen, and Harry watched as Tim fired a well aimed spell at another figure. Harry was still shielding members of the crowd who were trying to escape, but was watching the action trying to figure out how best to proceed and make sure they captured all the attackers. Sabrina and Proudfoot were moving people who had been injured out of harm's way and to Mungo's as quickly as they could.

Finally, all the audience members had escaped, but the assault didn't stop. The figures began to swoop down and aim more deadly spells at the group of Aurors. As one moved toward Harry, he managed to jump and grab onto the figure's broom; He had hoped to throw whomever it was off balance, but to his surprise as soon as he grabbed hold, the figure began to ascend into the sky with him now clinging to the end of the broom.

"_Petrificus Totalus_!" the figure cried, pointing its wand at Harry; the figure also grabbed a hold of his hand, as though it was hoping the spell would hit and Harry would be trapped as he flew away. The spell missed, and when the man reached down to grab Harry's hand, Harry grasped a hold and hoisted himself onto the broom.

The figure and Harry began to fight, both of them attempting to gain control of the broom, which had begin to fly out of control. Several other figures moved to flank their sides; as they did, Harry realized that they were now moving away from the pitch and out into the unknown.

After taking several punches to the face and shoulders, Harry managed to gain the upper hand and threw the man off the broom. One of the other cloaked figures swooped to help the fallen assailant; Harry reversed his flight path, and fired several stunning spells at those who were still following him.

Two of the spells made contact, causing the riders to fall toward the ground. The Aurors on the ground raced towards the falling assailants, waving their wands and slowing the descent to prevent injury. The other cloaked figures, sensing that their attack was falling apart, began to depart at a rapid pace. Harry gave chase, not wanting any of them to get away.

As Harry drew closer, one of the figures in front of him leapt off its broom and onto his. The impact knocked the wind out of Harry and caused the figure to lose its hood. Harry found himself face to face with the sneering, twisted face of Thorfinn Rowle, who grabbed Harry roughly by the neck and began to squeeze. Harry did the only thing he could think of and brought his legs up to kick him hard in the stomach, pushing himself off the broom in the same motion.

There were several screams as he fell; he waited for the spell to hit him and slow his descent, but instead it was Ginny who flew just underneath him. The broomstick faltered and dropped as his weight hit it, but she managed to regain enough control that they were able to make it to the ground safely. As they crashed and tumbled off in a tangled heap, several more spells rained down on them as the three cloaked figures left the stadium, flying off into the horizon.

"Damn it!" Harry spat, untangling himself from his robes. He pulled Ginny to her feet, brushing her off and looking her over. "Are you okay?" he asked, watching as she nodded. "They were leaving, but when I got on that broom, they all started to fly away," he explained frantically, now looking at Lansing as though he would be able to pull the reason why out of the air. He pulled Ginny close to him, looking her over and kissing her forehead trying to let her know that he was worried for her safety.

"What do you mean?" asked Lansing.

"I thought whoever was on that first broom would stun me; but he cast the full body bind and grabbed onto my arm, like he was hoping I'd be stuck there. He missed, but it was strange," Harry muttered. He turned his attention to the five figures that were now bound and seated along the benches. Three of them Harry didn't recognize, but Mulciber and Selwyn were among the captured which was somewhat of a relief.

Ginny's coach and teammates surrounded them, pulling her away from Harry and examining her quickly. He was forced to focus on interrogating the captured Death Eaters rather than her benefit, and Lansing ordered him back to the Ministry with Sabrina and Tim before he could even say good bye to her.

"The sooner we get them all captured and figure out who is behind this, the sooner you can go back to making her your focus, Harry," Sabrina said in a soothing voice when he muttered an angry statement about not being able to make sure Ginny was fine.

"I hope they don't practice tonight," Harry said.

"They'll be fine," Sabrina said. "Look, this will be over, and then everything can go back to normal, all right?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't that easy. As though they had been placed under some kind of charm, none of the five attackers they captured could give them any information. One of the younger men, whose name turned out to be Marcus Nott – Theodore Nott's younger sibling – actually began to choke when he tried to give the identity of the heir.

"I can't say it, I can't!" he tried to explain. "I don't want to die, just… I'll tell you anything else, but I can't tell you that!"

He couldn't tell them anything else though, when he attempted to reveal the location of the rest of the Death Eaters, it was almost as though the air was forcefully sucked out of his lungs. Kingsley and Lansing tried every counter spell they could think of, but couldn't undo the magic in time and watched as the young man suffocated right in front of them.

"We can't interrogate them, or we'll have to do it with very carefully formulated questions," Kingsley said later that evening. "It seems as though once they've been inducted into this group, an enchantment was placed upon them that makes them unable to betray them." He leaned his head into his hands; Harry examined Kingsley's face, noting how much the last two years had aged him.

"That's one thing Voldemort never thought of," Harry muttered, remembering Hermione putting a charm on the list of Dumbledore's Army members that caused the horrible pustules if they tattled.

"It creates a huge problem for us," Lansing said. "Even if we capture them, we can't get any information," he spat, looking around as though he was daring someone to challenge his statement.

Eva sat in the corner, writing everything down and shaking her head. "This is insane; Minister, how … how do you want me to put this?" she asked quietly, looking at Kingsley and begging him to give her a suggestion.

"Just… tell the truth; people have to know what we're against and why we're not making progress… right?" he replied, shaking his head like he didn't know where to begin either.

Over the next few months, the peace that had become so comfortable was replaced with fear as attacks became more and more common. Eva's report appeared in The Daily Prophet the next morning. She had referred to the perpetrators of the attacks as "Death Eaters" in her description since they appeared to be made up of the remnants of Voldemort's old ranks. But the following day, the new mark appeared in her office and chaos broke loose again. The supplies within the office: quills, ink wells, even the cups the employees used for drinking during the work day, were all cursed or laced with poisoning that caused the same symptoms as the earlier poisonings had. Eva was taken to St. Mungo's for treatment. She had run out of the office screaming hysterically and Kingsley had to rescue her from the roof of the Ministry; she had tried to throw herself off in her confusion and hysterics.

"They went after her because she called them Death Eaters. And because she was Muggle-born, of course," Sabrina explained after they removed all traces of the cursed items from within the office. "Everyone's a target; there is someone on the inside who knows who is Muggle-born in that office, and that's why she got the worst of it. No one else was carted off to Mungo's," she said matter-of-factly. The event appeared to have disturbed her; she was still close with several people in the Law Enforcement office and hated to think of any of them being hurt.

It appeared that the whoever was part of this organization did not want to be referred to as a Death Eater; the Prophet began referring to them as the Dark Shadows after the attack, which occurred in during the middle of the day.

"_Indeed, it feels as though a Dark Shadow has descended upon us all_," wrote Malena Courtland of the Prophet the following day. She had reluctantly taken on the position of Public Correspondent for the Auror office after Lansing and Kingsley had requested.

"I'm nervous about this, but I agree and I don't support what's happening to all of us… so just… give me the facts, I'll write your releases and we'll call it good… okay?" she said, fidgeting with her long black hair when they offered her an increase in pay to do the extra reporting.

The attacks were putting strain on the Wizarding world as a whole, but the effect on smaller circles could be seen instantaneously. Harry had become withdrawn and obsessed; he avoided spending time with Ginny, Ron and Hermione, using the excuse that there was so much work to be done.

"The sooner they're gone, the better it will be for all of us," he tried to explain.

"Harry, I haven't seen you in weeks," said Ginny. She had come down to the office one Friday, only to find him slightly upset that she had strayed from their arranged travel plans. "Besides that, I'm surrounded by people all the time. I'd just like to have few-"

"Ginny, they're after all of us. Ron, Hermione… me, you. It doesn't matter, I'm just trying to keep everyone safe," he said in an exasperated tone of voice.

"I'm not safe when I'm with you?" She asked, becoming slightly irritated.

Harry wanted to answer that yes she was, but in truth, he wondered if she was in more danger around him than she was away. Each time he participated in a counter-strike against the Shadow, his partners ended up having to work to protect him in addition to capture the assailants.

"I swear, they're just doing things like this to draw you out," Tim commented after a particularly bad episode. Kings Cross station in London had reported that an explosion which injured fifteen Muggles. When the Aurors arrived to investigate, Rowle, Travers and Rodolphus Lestrange made no attempt to even attack them, they simply went straight after Harry. Tim and Lansing had been blasted aside for a moment, and Neville stood with his back to Harry as they defended themselves. Lestrange had made no attempt to stun, kill, or harm Harry in any way; all of those spells were directed at Neville. The four Aurors finally forced the three members of the Shadow to retreat, but the destruction they caused was widespread throughout both the Prophet and local Muggle papers.

"_Fifteen Injured as Explosion Rocks Kings Cross Station_," read the Muggle press the next day. But the Wizarding World was greeted with a different headline.

"_Attack on Kings Cross Brings the Shadow into the Muggle World_," read Malena's headline the next day. After the paper hit stands, she ran into the office with an envelope that had been dropped on her desk by an owl.

"I don't want to open it; I don't know what's inside," she explained as she frantically handed the envelope to Tim upon entering the office.

He didn't touch it, but waved his wand and caused it to open. The paper appeared to be normal, but he waved his wand and muttered complex spells to make sure before he touched it.

"It's not out to get you," he said consolingly to Malena, who was shaking as she stood by his side. "It's … well… here," he said, waving his wand and enlarging the letter so all within the office could read.

"_We have yet to enter the Muggle World; that will come after we have rid our world of the filth of the Mudbloods and all who oppose our aims. Those directly involved in the death of the Dark Lord will be destroyed as we move back into our rightful place of power. Be aware, continued reporting on the heroic feats of the Auror responsible for the downfall of the Dark Lord will cause more harm than support for the continued way of life…_"

No one said anything; the silence began to be uncomfortable. Tim shrank the letter back down to appropriate size and confiscated it. As Kingsley advised Malena to begin leaving out names of anyone involved in the battles against the Shadow, Tim wandered to Harry's desk with a somber look on his face.

"So, I think I owe you a drink… it looks like you were right," he muttered.

"Well, what's new?" Harry remarked bitterly. "More people out to get me." He wasn't worried about himself though, only the people he cared about. He didn't mention the contents of the letter Malena received to anyone; they were leading somewhat normal lives at this point and he did not want to interrupt that.

Ron and Hermione were spending a lot of time with the Grangers, both protecting them and working on planning a wedding. It took their mind off of what was happening, and gave Harry some much needed alone time to try and figure things out. But Harry when arrived home one Thursday afternoon to an empty house, he sensed something was not quite right.

He unlocked the door to Grimmauld Place using the established password to undo the locking charm. But as he walked inside, the silence that greeted him was abnormally eerie. Harry stood in the hallway for a few moments, trying to figure out what was off; it finally hit him as removed his cloak.

"Kreacher?" he called in a low voice. There was no response; Harry walked into the sitting room and looked around. "Kreacher?" he called again, this time louder. It never took this long for the elf to respond, even when Harry had aroused him from a dead slumber, he was right there within seconds of his call. He had just walked into the kitchen and glanced around, when he heard a low moan from the corner of the room. Harry turned around and gasped at the sight in front of him.

Kreacher lay blackened and bruised in the corner of the kitchen, and he was clutching the locket Harry had given him tightly in one hand. Blood ran copiously from a wound to his abdomen, and he stared up at Harry with relief in his eyes.

"Kreacher!" Harry exclaimed, running over to the elf's side. "What happened? Hang on, we'll… I'll get you help, just hang on," he muttered. He pulled out his wand and conjured a bandage, gently wrapping it around the elf's wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Master… Kreacher stops them… they was trying to kill Master Harry," the elf muttered, grabbing Harry by the front of his shirt.

"Stop who? Are they still here?"

"No… Kreacher is stopping them… they came into the house… they was trying to harm master. Kreacher would not allow it… they could not touch the dishes, or anything within the house… Kreacher is keeping Master Harry safe," the elf explained weakly.

"How did they get in?" Harry asked incredulously. There were only a limited number of people that knew the password for access to Grimmauld place, and all of them were people Harry trusted. He began to tally off the names of those people in his head when Kreacher gasped loudly and began to speak again.

"They was knowing the password… Kreacher tried to stop them from coming in… they cannot hurt Master, there is protective charms… only master can touch the dishes," the elf said, he coughed lightly. Harry noticed blood on his hand.

"I'm going to get you help; just hang on, Kreacher, hang on!" Harry said. He waved his wand, muttering a new protective enchantment over the dwelling that would keep everyone but himself out. He knew he'd have to find Ron and Hermione and advise them of the measure, but there would be time for that later. After locking the door, Harry held Kreacher as gently as he could and Apparated to St. Mungo's.

"Please, do something for him," Harry exclaimed as he ran in the door. Several nurses looked up and immediately whisked Kreacher away to the first floor. Harry followed quickly, but was stopped outside the ward's doors while they set to work to save his house-elf.

Twenty minutes later, a healer finally came out to talk to Harry. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Potter, but there's nothing we can do to save him."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked incredulously.

"He's lost too much blood, and the injuries he sustained during the attack were so severe. Given his age, his heart is failing as we speak. We've made him comfortable, but he'll not last the night. He probably won't even last the afternoon," she said in a somber tone.

Harry felt anger well up inside him at the same time a lump emerged in his throat. "I need to see him," he said quietly. The nurse nodded and led him to where they were keeping Kreacher. The elf looked tiny in the hospital bed, but he was more at peace than when Harry first discovered him. The nurses left them alone, closing the curtains around his bedside as Harry sat down. He waved his wand, muttering "_Muffliato"_ before laying it down at Kreacher's side.

"Kreacher, who did this to you?" Harry asked, placing his hand over the little elf's.

"They was wearing masks, master. Kreacher did not see their faces… but…" he paused, coughing weakly before continuing. "They was instructed by a woman… with his eyes," he said with a shudder.

"Whose eyes?"

"The Dark Lords," Kreacher whispered. "Kreacher cannot forget those eyes, so dark brown, so evil… she is looking just like the Dark Lord when he took Kreacher to the island. She tries to undo Kreacher's spells to protect master, she tries to set a trap for Master when he comes home… but Kreacher will not allow it. She was angry, Kreacher was punished, he could not escape…"

"Because you can't leave the house," Harry muttered quietly, his face fell. He had forgot that one piece of information; Kreacher was bound to stay there in order to protect the dwelling while Harry was away. That was part of the protective spell, and what kept Harry safe now resulted in the death of another house-elf.

"Master, do not be sad… Kreacher is happy he is serving you, and Masters Ron and George… and Miss Hermione and Miss Ginny… Kreacher is happy… you is making life better for all house elves… we is not forgetting that," the elf whispered quietly. He subsided into another coughing fit, his skin growing paler by the second.

"Can you tell me anything else?" Harry asked, after the coughing had ceased.

"She is His child… she has His power… she is inside the ministry, causing all sorts of trouble for Master. But no one knows… no one knows…Kreacher does not know her name…"

"But it's definitely a woman?" Harry asked.

"Yes… and she has his eyes…" Kreacher said quietly. He breathed slowly, closing his eyes and sighing. "Kreacher is happy to have served Master… Master will be able to remove the portrait of my mistress should he wish. Master… please watch out for yourself and all your family… Kreacher… wishes he could stay to protect you…"

"Kreacher," Harry said quietly. "You've done enough… thank you, for everything."

The elf smiled gently and closed his eyes. His breathing was ragged for a few moments before it fell silent. Harry sat by the bed, staring at the body of the second house-elf he had witnessed die trying to protect him. A sick feeling clouded his stomach as thought of all the people around him now that were trying to protect him. Voldemort was gone; this was supposed to be over. And here Harry was again, being hunted, being stalked, putting others in danger with his existence. Was it written in the stars that he would be hunted for his life? Did they miss a part of the prophecy that predicted the continuing fights he would be subjected to? How many more people would die in his place?

Harry left an hour later, after arranging for Kreacher's body to be laid near the coast. He walked to the Ministry after that, approaching the office with a heavy heart and his mind full of turmoil.

"My house-elf was just murdered," he announced unceremoniously to the room at large. He stared at his trainers for a few moments, while the weight of his words seemed to sink into the air around him. When he finally looked up, he was surprised by the presence of Ginny, Ron, and Hermione in addition to his Auror team.

"What?" Hermione gasped finally. "Kreacher? He was murdered? What happened?"

Harry recounted the story as best he could. Someone entered the house, attempted to lace the plates, silverware, and glasses with a spell or poison intended to harm or kill Harry. When Kreacher wouldn't allow it, he was tortured by members of the Shadow. Harry also said that Kreacher officially confirmed that the supposed heir of Voldemort was a woman.

"He just kept saying that she looked just like him; he was scared. And he didn't do anything, they were after me and he was just there…" Harry muttered before sitting down in a chair. He felt Ginny move by his side and begin to stroke his hair. He took her hand in his and stared at it, pondering again the danger he was bringing into her life as everyone began to discuss information around him.

"Does anyone have any pictures of what Voldemort looked like before he was distorted?" Lansing asked.

Harry said nothing; he tuned out the conversation around him, thinking only of how much danger his friends and the people he had come to regard as family were in. Ginny, Ron, Hermione… Teddy… Mr. and Mrs. Weasely, George and Angelina… Bill and Fleur… little Victiore.

"Harry?" Ginny's voice whispered. "Come on, let's go home. Kingsley and Lansing are going to come with and double check the house," she explained.

He nodded at first, but as he stood to follow them, he changed his mind. "No… Lansing, Kingsley, you can come and check the house. But I don't want anyone else to come until we make sure it's safe," he said.

"Harry, we'll come with you. It'll be better that way and-" Hermione started, but he cut her off.

"No…I … need some time. I don't want anyone there until I know it's safe," he said.

"All right," Ginny said; her tone of voice was laced with concern. "Why don't they check everything out, and then we can stay at the Burrow tonight," she suggested, taking his hand.

"You stay… I'm going to do some investigating at Grimmauld Place. I need to figure this out," he said. He looked at her brown eyes, watching as they flashed from concern, to irritation, to sadness. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said, kissing her lightly on the head before walking out and back to Grimmauld Place.

The investigation Kingsley and Lansing did with Harry showed no signs of poison, no cursed objects, and no presence of any danger what-so-ever. The protectiveness Kreacher had offered the house worked well, and Harry placed a more powerful protective spell over the dwelling after they left. He debated going to the Burrow, but didn't want to bring his bad luck with him and decided to stay by himself for the night. Though it wasn't much of a night, he barely slept, and the next few days his investigations into the event turned up nothing.

"Harry, take a break from it for a while," Ginny suggested on Sunday afternoon. She felt a lingering sadness settle over her; she could sense that this new uprising and attacks were having a bad effect on Harry's mood, but nothing could bring him out of it. She was leaving to go back to Holyhead that evening, and had barely spent any time with Harry at all; she missed him terribly and was beginning to wonder about all the thoughts that were going through his head. "Come on, let's go flying … or go for a walk or something."

"That's probably not a good idea," Harry said, not looking up from the stack of papers he was examining. He'd managed to get his hands on some meeting information from the old Order of the Phoenix gatherings and was looking for a description of Voldemort so he could compare it to people within the Ministry. Other than brown eyes and dark hair, he hadn't come upon anything useful.

"Well… we can go to the Burrow and walk through the fields; it's safe there. Or out by Shell Cottage. The sea would be nice," Ginny suggested, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Harry sighed; it would be nice to take a walk. Ginny's head lying against his, her long, soft hair trailing over his neck, and the smell of her perfume invading his senses made the idea even more tempting. But he just kissed her hand, "I just want to get this taken care of… then we can go anywhere," he said, a trace of hope in his voice.

"You can't put your life on hold just because someone is after you again. That's what they want," she muttered. "Besides, isn't this just an occupational Hazard of being an Auror?"

He considered her words, she was right on both accounts; but realizing that made him question his situation even more. If this was his life, if his job was going to constantly bring danger into his friends, girlfriend, and his potential family's life, perhaps it would be better if he were alone.

"You can't think like that mate," Tim told on Monday when Harry expressed his concerns. "You can't just shut yourself off because there's danger around you. Hell, if we all did that none of us would have lives."

"But we don't. You're single, Sabrina doesn't date, Lansing isn't married, neither is Proudfoot. Neville-"

"Neville's got a girlfriend," Tim said.

"What?" Harry asked, shocked into curiosity by this new information. "Since when?"

"Since I caught them making out in the Atrium one evening," Tim said with a laugh. "Her name is Hannah, she works as a barmaid in the Leaky Cauldron."

"Hannah Abbott?"

"I think so; do you know her?"

"She was in Hufflepuff, but we were in the same year," Harry said. He smiled lightly, for the first time since August it felt like. "Well, aside from Neville, and me… no one has any relationships."

Harry missed Ginny terribly, but he spent so much time worrying about her safety that he found himself avoiding her out of fear that she would be in danger if she spent time with him. He started to become annoyed that Ron and Hermione could be together all the time, and he was alone because Ginny was safer farther away from him.

For once in their lives, Ron and Hermione found themselves somewhat separated from Harry and all the trauma that surrounded him. They were worried and concerned about his mood, and the fact that he barely spent any time at home, but every time they tried to drag him away from his work, he brushed them off, using the same excuses he had perfected for Ginny.

"We need to get this resolved, Lansing and Kingsley are really on us; I have to be here," Harry lied. On the contrary, Lansing and Kingsley were pushing him to keep his life as normal as possible, but Harry was too obsessed with the fact that he was cursed to attempt any normal activities.

"He'll come out of it," Hermione said one evening as she sat looking at pictures of wedding dresses in a magazine she had bought.

"I hope so; Ginny is really upset," Ron said as he sat down next to her. "I know he's doing that whole 'everyone is safer without me' thing again, but I have no idea how to correct him… because it does feel that way, again."

Hermione nodded, and sighed heavily. She agreed, but at the same time something seemed very off about the situation to her. Whoever was in charge knew too much about Harry and his life, almost as though they wanted him to feel alone; they wanted him to retreat and abandon his life, as though this would make him easier prey for something they had planned. How Voldemort's heir knew anything about Harry was beyond her; and how the fact that Voldemort had a child went unknown for so long, even from his Death Eaters, was something that concerned her even more.

"I don't like that one at all," Ron said suddenly, pointing to an image of a tall girl in a dress covered in feathers.

"Why not?" Hermione chuckled. "It's like a chicken."

Ron shook his head. "I don't like that one either," he said, pointing to a long sleeved dress that was outlined in lace.

"You know, for it being my dress, you have an awful lot of opinions," Hermione teased.

"You'll be brilliant in whatever, and the best part is everyone will know you're mine," Ron said in response. Hermione laughed and laid her head against his shoulder. He placed his hand on her knee and squeezed gently, turning and kissing her on the forehead.

A few kisses led to hugs, which lead to touching, which within a short span of time, led to Ron's hands reaching under Hermione's skirt and tugging her knickers down around her ankles. He gripped her by the hips and pulled her onto his lap, groaning as she unfastened the buckle on his jeans and freed him from the confines of his clothing.

"We should… probably… go upstairs," Hermione muttered as the feeling of Ron's lips on her neck and the intense pleasure of him inside of her overwhelmed her completely.

Ron shook his head and pulled her hips against his firmly, grinning when she gasped aloud. "I think we're fine right here," he whispered, snaking his hands under her shirt and over her breasts. He didn't think that he would ever tire of the intense heat that surrounded him every time they made love. And each time they did, she became braver and more confident, rocking her hips against his and responding to his intensity with increasing bravery.

As he felt the beginnings of her orgasm, Ron thrust against Hermione at an increasingly rapid pace. She threw her head back and moaned aloud, her glorious curls trailing over his hands that held her close to him and giving him access to her breasts through her partially opened blouse. His own orgasm washed over him as she finished, lying her forehead against his, both of them breathing heavily.

"I'm going to have to start looking through dress magazines without you," Hermione said quietly, a trace of amusement in her voice. This was the second time that she and Ron had given into their lust while she was looking for her wedding gown.

"I can't help it; you're mine, and everyone will see how beautiful you are, and know that you're mine," he said simply. She grinned and lowered her lips to his, sighing as he pulled her closer to him and wrapped his arms around her waist.

The door to Grimmauld Place opened; both of them started, but didn't move from the spot. Hermione quickly buttoned up her blouse and Ron grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around them. They both flushed with color and tried to pretend they were sleeping as Harry walked past the sitting room and into the kitchen. They heard him grab a glass and something to drink from the fridge before walking back into the hall. They sat completely still, hoping to blend in with the couch; but could tell that Harry paused and was examining them.

"Wha… oh, OH!!" He suddenly groaned. "Why? The couch? That's my couch! Oh…jeeze… I'll just… yeah, I'm just going to go back to the office now…" he said, setting his plate and glass down on the floor and walking toward the door.

"Harry, wait…we weren't-" Ron and Hermione both started to say, but the door shut and silence filled the room. They looked back at each other, sighing heavily.

"That was awkward," said Ron. Hermione nodded, biting her lip nervously. Both of them felt immensely guilty as they waited for Harry to come home so they could apologize. But he didn't come home that night, nor the next morning.

Hermione dressed very modestly for work, intending to visit Harry on her lunch hour and apologize. She ended up having much less work than expected, so she decided to go and visit him early. Tea cup in hand, she walked to the Auror office and peered through the glass. She could tell that that he and Tim were the only ones in the office at the time. Harry looked as though he had not slept; he was wearing the same robes as he wore the previous day, and his hair was abnormally disheveled. She tapped her glass of cold tea with her fingers before sighing heavily and opening the door, stepping inside as quietly as she could.

Harry looked up and watched the door open; Hermione's slender frame entered, a sheepish expression on her face.

"Hi," she muttered quietly, walking over and taking a seat on his desk.

"Why are you acting like you're going to be punished?" he asked with a smirk.

"Well… I feel bad. We shouldn't … you've been so kind to us to let both of us stay at your house, rent free, and this is how we repay you… I'm sorry, we just-"

"Hermione, shut up," said Harry with a small laugh. "I'm not angry, it was just awkward. And I'm jealous…"

"Jealous?"

"You guys are together all the time… Ginny's in Holyhead, and I'm so busy I never see her," he explained.

"By choice; she comes home every weekend and you choose not to see her," called Tim from the back of the office. He emerged carrying a pot of tea and a few packets of sugar. "You want some, Hermione?" he offered.

She nodded and held out her own cup for him to fill, giving him a smile that let him know she agreed. "He's right, you know," Hermione said to Harry as Tim sat back down at his desk.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I'm so worried about her. These people… whoever this is… it's just like last time. I'm being hunted… we all are. And now she's involved too; I've put her in danger… again. I thought it was over… I thought it was safe to be with her. It's-"

"It _is_ safe to be with her, Harry. You can't put her in a bubble, or up in a tower like a princess. She knows the risks of being involved with you; not only because you're Harry Potter, but being an Auror comes with risks as well. She's known it since you started with the office, and she resents you treating her like this. I know it's just because you want her to be safe, but you can't shut her out just because of that," said Hermione gently.

"You act like that's a bad thing that I don't want her to be in danger," Harry replied coolly.

"It's selfless and noble, but it's also silly. People love you; they want to protect you, and they want to see you happy. Cutting yourself off from everyone doesn't accomplish any of those things," she said in a soft voice.

"But it keeps people alive," muttered Harry. Hermione sighed heavily and rested her forehead in her hand.

Sabrina had walked inside the door and approached her desk across from Harry's. She was shaking her head and looking over some papers as she sat down. "Not necessarily, Harry," she said, joining the conversation. "You're forgetting that these people are targeting not only you, but everyone who opposes them. This includes Ron, Hermione, Ginny, their parents, the entire Muggle-Born liaison council, all of us… it's not just about you this time," she said as she grabbed some sugar for her tea from Tim's desk.

"She's right; we're all in this together," Tim muttered. "And you work with us two," he said indicating Sabrina and himself, "So, good luck trying to shut us out."

"And you live with Ron and I; it's going to be pretty hard to do that as well. Though, you taking to sleeping here every night has become pretty effective," Hermione grinned.

"Yes, try as I might, I can't exactly shut you two out… or keep you off my couch," he teased, watching her blush. Looking for a way to change the subject, he examined her ring. "You'll not be there for much longer, though; how are the wedding plans coming?"

Hermione laughed. "They're coming along. You haven't been around much to notice, but I'm driving Ron mad," she said rolling her eyes. She fell quiet and frowned slightly. "Ginny is helping me. She's told me she's worried about you taking off on her again. You've been so distant and-"

"I haven't tried to be… I'm just … focused. These attacks… it seems like they do things they know will draw me out. Like I said, I'm afraid they'll target her," he explained, cutting her off.

"I don't think Ginny realizes the severity of what's going on," Sabrina said, finally looking up from her papers and over toward where Hermione and Harry sat. "The last time there was an attack, they went straight for Harry, no questions. I'm kind of on his side here; he just wants her to be safe."

Hermione gave Sabrina a confused look. "Ginny's not into the whole 'keep-me-safe' thing. She wants to be right in the thick of the action – both of us do. We're not afraid of a fight," she explained.

"That's all well and good, but you haven't had the training we've had. These people are using experienced spells and curses, they could really do a lot of damage and-"

"Ginny and I didn't have any training when we took on Bellatrix Lestrange," Hermione said coolly. "I think we did fine."

"You fought with Bellatrix? I thought Molly killed her off," Sabrina said, glancing at Harry.

"Molly did, but Ginny and I, along with our friend Luna, dueled with her before that. Not to mention all the other people during the war, and other times before that. As you've probably noticed, hanging around Harry tends to help one sharpen their defensive skills," Hermione explained. "Ginny can handle herself in a fight; so can I for that matter."

"I'm not doubting that, but still… I'm not sure any of us know what we're truly up against," Sabrina said, turning back to her papers. An uncomfortable silence fell over the room as Hermione sat defiantly staring at Sabrina. A few minutes passed, and Sabrina filed her papers away before waving her wand with a flourish and bidding them all farewell and leaving the office.

"Don't take her personally," Harry said. "She's been off lately."

"And she likes to think she's the toughest hawk on the block," Tim said. "Don't worry about it, Hermione."

Hermione sighed. "Well, either way, I think you need to sit down and have a talk with Ginny, Harry," she said. "You've got her really worried that you're going to take off on her again."

Harry lifted his eyes. "I'm not even thinking that… I just don't want her to get hurt!"

"Well, tell her that then! It will all work out," she said, patting Harry on the arm. She took a sip from her tea and stretched her arms over her head. "I'm serious though, you need to talk to her; you can't shut her out like you did last time. It will not only hurt her, which I know you don't want to do…but I don't think you realize how much you need her, Harry."

He nodded, silently agreeing with Hermione that he had only begun to realize how much he needed Ginny with him.

Just then there was a noise outside in the Atrium. Curious, Harry got up to glance out the window; Hermione and Tim followed, both of their expressions wary.

Three people had run out from the office of Magical Law Enforcement and were now screaming at each other, they were joined by a person from the Daily Prophet soon after, who ran past them and jumped into the fountain and began splashing uncontrollably.

"What the hell?" Tim asked, chuckling slightly. "Isn't that Sophie? That girl Sabrina has lunch with sometimes? And there's Malena, too."

"It is; what are they doing?" Harry asked. He was about to open the door and see what was going on when he heard Hermione snicker beside him.

"She's probably going back to her mangy roots," she said with a malicious laugh.

Tim and Harry glanced at each other. "Come again?" Harry asked.

"Well, she's Muggle-born right? She's just getting into her inner mangy animal… going back to her dirty roots," Hermione said matter-of-factly, still chuckling lightly.

Harry watched Hermione curiously; she had been chuckling lightly, but then began to laugh loudly as she stumbled back away from the windows that peered into the atrium. "Stupid mudblood… at least she's actually acting like one now instead of trying to pass herself off as a real witch," Hermione said, laughing loudly at the comment.

Tim looked out in the atrium; more people were crowding around the fountain, some exhibiting the same behavior they were witnessing from Hermione, others attempting to stop them from hurting themselves. "She's a Muggle-born, right?" Tim asked under his breath, nodding his head toward Hermione, who was now cackling uncontrollably.

Harry nodded. "You don't think…the tea? Did you drink any?" Harry asked incredulously

Tim shook his head, "You?"

"No…I was just about to though…"

"I'm not sure, Sabrina had some… but something has definitely happened," Tim said. Just then Kingsley appeared from his office and waved to them, indicating that they needed to come out and help. "Take care of her," Tim said, stepping out into the atrium and seizing a man who was walking by trying to set fire to his own shoes.

"Is he right?" Hermione asked, still laughing loudly, "Am I a mudblood?"

"No," Harry said. "Um… let's go see Ron, come on." He grabbed Hermione by the hand and tried to pull her out the door.

"I am… aren't I?" She asked. "Well, isn't that the pits…"

Harry didn't say anything. He was trying to focus on getting her to Mungo's and getting an antidote in her system. But before he could exit the door, Hermione collapsed suddenly in his arms. She screamed loudly, as though she was being tortured. Her limbs went stiff and she began to shake from head to toe.

"HERMIONE!" Harry yelled, catching her as she fell and laying her on the floor. He took her face in his hands and tried to make her focus. She seemed to be staring at something very far away, utterly terrified of what she was seeing. He vaguely heard screams echoing from the Atrium, and a quick glance told him that everyone who was suffering the odd symptoms had now collapsed as Hermione had.

"Hermione! Focus, it's all right!" Harry screamed, shaking her gently. Her eyes came back into focus, and she looked into his, completely terrified.

"Harry?"

"It's me, you're okay, we're going to get you to Mungo's… you're okay," Harry said, trying to help her to her feet.

She gripped him tightly as he pulled her to her feet. "It's a curse, it's not poison … it's on all of us… all of us! She's coming… they're all coming, and we're all dead!" she shouted at him. She began to shake again, but tried to keep her focus on his face, as though she had something vitally important to tell him. "It's… oh God, the disguise…no one would suspect him… or her… or any of them..."

"Who, Hermione? Who?" Harry asked, he had managed to drag her to the lifts and pushed the button to ascend to the surface.

But he lost her, her eyes focused on whatever was far away and she began to scream again. Harry dragged her onto the lift as she fought against him. But as soon as they reached the surface, she collapsed again, her eyes closing as she went limp. She was still for a few seconds, then began to seize violently.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled. Not knowing what else to do, he gripped her by the arm and Apparated to Mungo's, hoping they could stop whatever was causing her madness.


	32. The Attack

The Attack

"Sulk" Radiohead

* * *

"Make it stop! Why won't it stop?"

"I have to do this; it's the only way there will be peace!"

"We're all filthy! Kill us all!"

Harry was trying to help the healers at Mungo's subdue the twenty some people that had been brought in from the Ministry, Hermione among them. No matter what they were given, the symptoms of insanity continued and their behavior became increasingly erratic. Several had attempted suicide by any means they could think of: drowning themselves in the fountain, throwing themselves into walls, or in Hermione's case, she had tried to pierce her neck with the tip of her wand before Harry managed to wrestle it from her grip and drag her inside the hospital.

"She said it was a curse! Not a poison, a curse!" Harry yelled again, at one of the healers. He was clinging to a distraught Hermione, his arms constricting hers against her ribs. She alternated between sobbing uncontrollably during her brief coherent moments, then screaming in pain and calling herself atrocious names the others.

"There's no way a curse could affect this many people all at once! It's impossible!" the healer shouted back as she tried to get a few of the patients who had momentarily calmed down to drink the antidote Neville had made. "They'd all have to touch something, or have it placed on them at the same time!"

At that moment, Tim and Lansing came rushing into the ward. Tim moved past the healer into the middle of the ward. The witches and wizards who had been affected turned and looked at him, their eyes wide with fear. He raised his wand high while chanting a spell that sounded like a song in a quiet soothing voice. Soon everyone had calmed down and was starting to relax, and as they did, Tim muttered "_subsisto novercalis_" repetitively. Slowly, one by one, the witches and wizards of the ward wandered to the cots and laid down, all of them falling asleep almost instantaneously. The healer stared at Tim in shock.

"It was a curse," he said bluntly. "I found Sabrina, just after you left Harry. She had drunk the tea, and nothing happened to her. I suddenly got to thinking, in the States a few attacks involved curses that affect only certain people; like male or female, or… pure-blood, half-blood, or –"

"Muggle-borns," Harry muttered.

"There are a few more coming in," Tim said to the healer. "All the cups and silverware used in the Ministry – plastic, Styrofoam, china… everything on people's desks – was all cursed. We tried to get everything and put the word out for people to check, but there will be a few that slip through."

The healer looked aghast. "Well, you're going to have to stick around to undo it all, because we-"

"I'll teach you; get the rest of the healers and I'll talk you through how to deal with it and how to take care of them now that they're calm. They're going to need dittany, calming draughts, and several other potions daily for about a week in order to recover," he explained as he walked out of the ward with the healer in tow. Lansing shook his head and said he needed to get back to the Ministry. Alone again, Harry sat down in a chair and buried his face in his hands. His rampant thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the door opening and shutting quietly.

"Is Ms. Granger all right?" a low voice asked.

Harry looked up to see Amos Diggory standing next to him, his face lined with worry. "She's… I think she'll be okay… it was a curse," Harry explained quietly, feeling sheepish as he sat next to the man. He hadn't seen Amos or his wife since the end of the Triwizard Tournament.

"Cursed? Why? Because she's Muggle-born?" Amos asked, watching as Harry nodded. "I thought this was over… it was supposed to be over. He died… and when You-Know-Who was killed and the war ended, I finally felt peace. Now I feel nothing again..." Amos muttered quietly.

Harry sat very still, guilt crashing down upon him like an anvil. He didn't know how to respond to the man's statement about the loss of his son and all the pain he had gone through.

"Of course, I can't imagine what it must be like for you, Harry," Amos continued. "You've survived it all; you've had to watch people you love die too. And now more of it is coming, and more of it will happen. I must sound very insensitive when I say this… but how do you become close to anyone?"

Harry sighed, and looked up slightly at the man. "I don't know, sir. I … I don't know," he muttered quietly.

Amos nodded slowly. "Please keep me updated on Ms. Granger. I took the liberty of notifying her fiancé just before I came in; I expect he'll be here shortly."

With that, Amos gave Harry a small smile and left him alone with his thoughts. He sighed heavily as he looked at Hermione sleeping in her cot. Her face twitched and her muscles were restless, he wondered vaguely what exactly the curse was supposed to accomplish. He also wondered if Amos was right: how was he supposed to be as close as he had to Ginny, or anyone, when he was still a hunted man?

The doors to the ward banged open loudly and Ron's tall figure strode inside. He walked right past Harry to Hermione's bedside, kneeling down and examining her closely. She muttered in her sleep and shivered, Ron rested his head against hers briefly before standing up and rounding on Harry.

"What the hell happened? We didn't… she was in your office? Why aren't you poisoned?" he demanded forcefully.

Harry stood and stared at Ron, before finally coming back to his senses. "It was a curse, Ron. It was everyone in the Ministry, we-"

"But she was in your office! How could you let something like this happen? She-"

"I didn't let anything happen!" Harry shouted angrily. "You think I want this? After everything we've been through, you think I'd want to hurt her? Or anyone?"

Ron stared, his face red with anger. He was breathing heavily, but it began to slow as he watched Harry's face. "You're right… you're right… I'm sorry," he muttered quietly. "It's just… I… I don't know what I'd do without her now; is she gonna to be all right?"

Harry opened his mouth to respond, but it was Tim who answered. "She'll be fine, Ron; she'll be fine. She'll need to stay here for a few days to recover; when I cast the spell to counteract the effects of the curse I also cast a spell that will let them sleep for a while," he explained. He set down several glasses next to Hermione, some of them filled with brightly colored liquids, others looked like water.

"She'll need to take this one," Tim said, indicating the smallest glass filled with what Harry recognized as an extract of Dittany, "as soon as she wakes up. If you can get her to eat something afterwards, great; if not, she'll feel sick but she'll need to take this one soon after." Tim indicated a tall glass filled with what appeared to be water.

Ron nodded; Harry gathered that Tim was instructing him with what to do because he knew that Ron would not be leaving her side. The healers came back into the room and set similar glasses down next to the other patients. Just then, Lansing and Kingsley came in with several more ministry wizards and witches, all of whom were exhibiting the same symptoms as the ones in the ward had earlier. Tim was about to issue the counter curse when the Healer who had been with him stepped in to perform it in his stead. One by one, they were able to get the witches and wizards into cots and settled into a restless sleep.

"Harry, come on, Lansing is going to need us," Tim muttered, indicating the door with a nod of his head. Harry glanced at Ron as he walked out the door.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Ron muttered, not taking his eyes off of Hermione. "I'll be here until she wakes up, but then I'll be home," he explained.

"Keep me updated," Harry said, and with that he turned and followed Tim out the door.

Back at the Ministry, Tim and Harry were greeted with the strange site of silverware, tea mugs, plates and other items in separate piles on the floor. They had enlisted the help of several House-elves with the sorting; but Kingsley, Lansing and Sabrina were doing most of the work removing the curse from the objects.

"Tim, explain to me how this works," Kingsley asked when the blonde Auror joined him. "This curse only affects certain blood-types? How can a curse, or the person placing it for that manner, tell the difference between a Muggle-born and a pure-blood witch or wizard?"

"Biologically, the blood is the same," Tim said. "Magically, there is a subtle difference between the way a Muggle-born's power works and a pure-blood's."

"How so?" Neville asked, from behind Harry. He had just joined the group and was levitating several more trays of silverware to add to the pile.

"A Muggle-born's magical ability pulls from deep within their psyche; somewhere along the blood line there was a squib so the power has been lying there dormant for years and years. With pure-blood witches and wizards, the magic is closer to the surface of their psyche because it's been more active in their genes. The curse identifies this, and acts accordingly," Tim explained.

Harry had listened, but his mind was lingering on other distracting things. He thought about Ron, automatically assuming that Hermione had been cursed just because she was in his office. He also thought about Hermione saying to Sabrina "_hanging around Harry tends to help one sharpen their defensive skills_." And then Amos Diggory, "_how can you become close to anyone_?"

They were right; everyone around him, from the time he was born, was subjected to horrible suffering at some point. Every witch or wizard at least, the Dursley's never had anything horrid happen to them; but his parents, his friends… everyone else had. How _could_ he be close to anyone? He'd been saying it for years, that Ron and Hermione, and now Ginny, would be better off if he were away. With Voldemort gone, he had assumed this was no longer true. _Guess my assumption has made an arse out of me_, he thought to himself.

His thoughts had begun to spiral wildly out of control when he heard his name being called by someone nearby.

"Harry? Harry!" Lansing was shouting, from almost right next to him.

"Wha… yes? What?" said Harry rather irritably; he looked around at the team of Aurors, who were all staring at him.

"You need to go home, you need rest. You've been here for the past fortnight almost non-stop; Tim said you slept here last night," said Lansing.

"S'not the first time," muttered Harry.

"Well, it should be the last time. You're no good to us exhausted; go home, that's an order," replied Lansing with a stern look. Harry glowered at him, but finally relented, promising them all he'd see them in the morning.

When he arrived at Grimmauld Place, the emptiness and silence unnerved him. It had felt that way since Kreacher had died; and now with Ron and Hermione at Mungo's, it felt even stranger. He wondered if perhaps he had avoided being home and around people just as he had avoided grieving properly for his house-elf. Not wanting to face that task at the moment, Harry reset the protective spells and wandered upstairs. Not bothering to shed himself of his clothing, he lay down in his bed and fell asleep almost instantaneously.

Ginny was standing in front of him, her long hair flying around her face in the violent wind. She looked peaceful, and he longed to be at her side. But he was glued to a spot from which he couldn't move.

"You can come beside me," she whispered quietly.

Harry tried to move, but his feet wouldn't carry him. "I can't get there," he called.

"Yes you can, Harry, you just need to let go," she whispered back.

Harry realized that he was holding onto a door handle, it was keeping him glued to the spot. He let go for a split second and there were screams that echoed from behind it. He slammed it back shut with all his might, pressing his weight against the door.

"I can't leave!"

"There's nothing there… just let go," Ginny whispered.

"I can't… they'll come out!"

"And what will they do?" asked Ginny. "You don't know; just let go." She beckoned to him; her arms open wide and a small smile on her face.

Harry relented his grasp, her eyes were so warm and her arms so inviting. It was cold where he stood, and he longed to feel her skin against his. He took a step away from the door.

As soon as he was no longer there to guard it, the door flew open violently. Rowle, the Carrow siblings, and Rodolphus Lestrange came running out. Voldemort followed in a flash of graying robes, and behind him was a faceless female with long, dark hair. Harry tried to look at her to make out her features, but his attention was drawn to Ginny's scream.

"STOP!" he screamed. Harry sat up quickly and fell off the mattress on to the floor. He lay panting for a moment before he realized it was a dream. Groaning loudly, he banged his head against the wood several times and sighed. He stood up and looked at the clock.

He cursed loudly. It was 8:30 in the morning; he was late for work. Not bothering to shower, or change his clothes - which were now on day three - he ran outside and apparated to the Ministry.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry," he sputtered entering the office and rushing to his desk. "I forgot to set my alarm, I'm sorry. I…" he trailed off looking around. There appeared to be no one to apologize too.

"S'all right, mate. You needed the sleep," a voice spoke from behind him. He turned around to see Ron sitting at a desk, signing his name to various forms. A list of targets lay beside him and he was dressed in nicer clothes than he typically wore to the shop. "You look like hell; haven't you changed your clothes?"

"What? Why… why are you here?" Harry sputtered.

"I took the job offer, finally," Ron explained with a small smile. "I want this to stop too, and I figure you all need some help. I've been waiting for you to come in, though Lansing said if you looked as rough as you did yesterday I'm just to go out on my own."

Harry nodded; he sat down at his desk feeling slightly out of breath.

"I am sorry about yesterday. I … flipped out when Amos sent me that owl. He didn't explain much about what happened, and I … I know you'd never do anything to hurt Hermione, or anyone for that matter. I was just afraid…"

"It's all right," said Harry. "I was scared too. Why aren't you there now? Is Hermione-"

"She woke up last night. She was pretty incoherent, but she did take the dittany and the other potion, and I managed to get her to eat some toast. She… she kept fading in and out, still insulting herself and trying to rationalize why she needed to die. Then when she came too, she was just scared and worried about what was happening. But she'll be all right; Ginny's with her," explained Ron.

"Ginny?" asked Harry.

"Ginny… you know: red-hair, smaller frame, my sister… you snog her regularly," said Ron in a sarcastic voice. He looked up at Harry, a confused half-smile on his face. "You are not with it; you need more sleep. Go home."

"You can't go out by yourself; it's your first day!"

"I'm just going to Mungo's and the other offices here; I'm not actually going out somewhere in London. Lansing wants me to take note of everyone who has access to the silverware and what not; then interview a few of the office heads about what happened," Ron explained. "I think I can handle it."

"Well, I'm coming with you… I don't want to be at home," Harry explained. Ron smiled and shook his head.

After his paperwork was finished, they headed out into the Ministry to do investigations. They spoke with every person in maintenance, only to end up without any leads.

"The house-elves assigned to us are mostly responsible for the washing of the silverware, plates and cups, other than people's personal ones. They're bound to the Ministry; they couldn't do anything like this," one man explained. Harry examined every person's wand while Ron did the questioning; nothing came of this either.

The office heads weren't much more help, though they began to identify all females within the ministry that had displayed any open prejudice toward Muggles or Muggle-borns.

"If this heir is a female, I'd check her out," the head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophe's told them about a dark haired female in his office. "Portia DeFlaven, she's always been a bit off." They also pulled Sabrina's friend Sophie's name from another person in the Office of Magical Law Enforcement.

"Sophie?" Sabrina scoffed when they told her later that afternoon. "No… no, she couldn't possibly do something like this. She was cursed herself! She's a Muggle-born!"

"I don't know, Marcus just gave us her name," Ron said. "I thought it odd as well, but there you have it," he explained, more to Lansing than to Sabrina.

"Ron, good work; this is good to keep just for references, and you were thorough to the max. S'too bad that nothing came up, but at least we have it cleared," Lansing praised Ron, clapping him on the shoulder. Harry grinned at his side, but frowned when Lansing turned to him.

"Potter, I'm glad you came in and helped him out, but I want you to go home. You need rest," Lansing said. "I appreciate your efforts and your tenacity, but you need to sleep… and you need to change clothes. If I see that shirt again I'll burn it off you," he teased. "Now seriously, go visit Ms. Granger with Ron, pick up your girlfriend, and go home and sleep. I mean it," Lansing said.

Harry nodded, blushing as Tim laughed at the jab about his clothing. They bid everyone good afternoon, and headed toward Mungo's.

When they arrived, it was not Ginny by Hermione's bedside, but Mrs. Weasley. "Harry, dear, you look awful," she said, standing up and moving to examine him. He tried to brush her off, but she looked at his clothes and the state of his hair and sighed. "Haven't you slept? Ron, has he slept?"

"Mum, the man is twenty years old. I can't make him sleep," said Ron, shaking his head. He grinned down at Hermione, who was sitting up in bed looking pale but much more coherent than the last time Harry had seen her. Ron kissed her lightly. "How are you?"

"Better," she nodded. "I still feel very shaky… it's odd, I feel almost like someone is coming for me, but I know that's just the curse fading. Harry… I'm so sorry; thank you for getting me-"

"Hermione, for Merlin's sake… was I just going to leave you?" Harry sighed with an exasperated expression on his face. He watched as Hermione smiled and shook her head. "Where's Ginny?" he asked, curious and concerned by her absence.

"She went to Grimmauld Place," Mrs. Weasley explained. "Ron told her the unlocking spell this morning, and when I arrived she said she was going to make you something to eat. Ron told her you haven't been eating well since Kreacher died, and you look like you've barely slept. You need some time off. Can you-"

"She's alone?" Harry asked, fear leaking into his voice. "I've got… I'll see you guys later," he said as he rushed toward the door and out into the street.

About a minute later, he had apparated and was standing at the front door of his house, panting as he tried to extract his wand to undo the locking charm. Before he had managed, the door opened and Ginny's bright face peered out at him from inside the door.

"Hi," she said. "I've got some food made for you and-"

"Get inside," Harry said roughly. He barged through the door, slamming it behind him and casting the protective charm again. He turned to look at Ginny, her expression confused and cautious. "Why did you come here all by yourself? You should have waited for someone," he said.

She frowned. "Ron said it was safe; I thought-"

"Well, Ron thought the Ministry was safe too, and now Hermione's on a cot taking thirteen different potions to remove a curse from herself," he spat as he moved past Ginny into the kitchen.

"I know all about what happened to Hermione, thank you very much for not bothering to write me a letter and tell me," she said in accusing tone of voice as she followed him. "I only found out because my mum came to Holyhead to tell me."

Harry sighed. "You're safer there than you are here. That stadium is guarded better than this house at least."

"Maybe I should be here; maybe I should be helping. We haven't had a match yet, I've got enough practice. I could ask to sit out the first game until this is all –"

"No…I want you away from all of this," Harry said, holding up a hand and walking closer to her. She stared him down defiantly. "You don't realize how serious this is. Hermione could have died; the last time I was actually involved in a battle Lestrange and Rowle attacked only me, they tried to drag me off. It's-"

"Obviously not just about you, other people are being targeted as well. Harry, you're over reacting. Go shower, calm down, and come eat," she said severely. Her expression was slightly hurt, but her eyes were stern and he sighed heavily and obeyed her request.

The hot water of the shower felt good on his skin; the knots in his muscles began to relax and it felt good for his hair to be clean. After he finished, he toweled off and put on fresh clothes before descending back down stairs.

Ginny had made a dinner out of a small Ham, a few potatoes, and several of Harry's favorite vegetables. She had also made treacle tart from scratch, and he relaxed even more once he had food in his stomach again.

"This is really good," he muttered as he took another bite of the tart and closed his eyes.

"I expect almost anything would be good if I went without food as long as you obviously have," she sighed.

"No, it's good because it's good… and because you made it," he explained. He stared at his plate, feeling guilty for shouting at her earlier. "Thank you; I haven't eaten in days."

"It looks like it," she said sadly. "And it looks like you haven't slept in days either."

Harry lifted his eyes and stared into her brown ones; they were so piercing and bright, he felt as though he were looking into a golden sunset. Her expression was concerned and soft, but her eyes retained a trace of hurt behind them.

"I haven't. And I've been a right arse to you," he said, turning in his chair and lacing his fingers through hers. "I'm sorry… this… this whole thing has got me really stressed out. It was over, and now there's this heir… and you and everyone else I love is in danger," he explained. "People are looking at me… like… haven't you fixed this? Wasn't it supposed to be over?"

Ginny stood and moved closer to him, seating herself on his lap. Harry wrapped his arms around her and laid his head against her chest. Her scent overwhelmed him and soothed him more than the shower, the food, or anything else had thus far.

"It's not all about you, it's about everyone," she whispered, running her thin fingers through his hair. "Obviously, just because this person is associated with Voldemort, people look to you. But it's not your responsibility… its everyone's this time."

Harry nodded, squeezing her tightly. "You've lost weight…" he suddenly commented.

"What?" she asked in a semi-shocked voice.

"You're smaller; you were never big obviously- stop looking at me like that. But you're really, really skinny," Harry said, leaning back to observe her. She looked fabulous like always; her curves were still accentuated, but not as visible as they once had been.

"Well, they train us hard, and I've been… stressed out as well," she said. "Jeeze, Harry, you really know how to give a girl a compliment," she said, teasing only slightly.

"You look fantastic! You always do… I just like your curves," he explained, running his hands down her sides in a possessive manner. "You should have eaten three pieces of that treacle tart… not me. I've been lazy," he said patting his stomach.

"Shut up," she said, kissing him lightly. She sighed as he held her closer and parted her lips. It wasn't until he had his arms wrapped around her and his lips against hers that she realized how badly she had missed him. "I missed you, Harry," she whispered when he paused his kissing.

"I missed you too…" he replied.

Ginny leaned back and observed him; his green eyes watched her curiously. "Can you talk to me? Tell me what's going on. I accept your apology for being an arse; but what's got you so wound up? Is it because people are expecting too much from you? Is it just difficult?"

Harry looked up at her; her face was lined with worry. How on Earth could he explain "I'm-acting-like-an-arse-because-I'm-scared-you'll-get-hurt-or-be-killed"? How could he explain he was afraid to be close to her because he would put her in danger?

"You can talk to me," she said softly when he didn't respond.

Harry sighed. "It's nothing in particular, really. I just… this whole new series of attacks and whatever this group is… it's just got me down. I just want it all to be over," he replied, lying partially about why he'd been behaving as such.

Ginny watched him, his green eyes avoided hers and she felt sad inside. He was keeping something from her, and she didn't know why. Hadn't she proven through the years that she wasn't afraid of anything that came her way? Hadn't she proven that she was trustworthy? Didn't he know that she loved him and she wanted to support him?

"I suppose… I told mum I'd probably go back to Holyhead tonight, so-"

"Do you have to?" Harry asked, his voice taking on a whole new tone.

"No…"

"Please stay with me," he asked, holding her close again. "I haven't slept… and it's too quiet. I've missed you so much…"

Ginny smiled against his hair, kissing the top of his head lightly. "Of course I'll stay."

Harry sighed deeply; she could sense relief flooding into his body. "I love you, Ginny. I do… I can't put into words how much…"

"So show me," she whispered.

Harry sighed, closing his eyes as she pressed her lips against his. He knew what she meant, and he longed to show her… but he feared for her safety so much that he couldn't allow that to happen. Instead he kissed her softly and stood up, holding her hand in his as they walked up stairs and crawled into bed. She curled into his arms and he stroked her hair, soothing her and himself with the motion and soon he fell into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, Harry awoke feeling more rested than he had in weeks. Ginny's sleeping form beside him was soothing. Her long hair fanned out across her shoulders, and her breathing was slow and peaceful. He kissed her cheek lightly before getting up and dressing himself. Deciding not to wake her, he left her a note asking her to be careful and that he would see her later. With that, he drank a glass of milk and headed into the office.

The Ministry was unusually quiet; a quarter of its workforce was still in Mungo's recovering from the effects of the curse. He walked to his office to find it empty; a note on his desk from Tim explained that they had all went out to search for various known members of the shadow and that he was to meet up with him and Ron at the Leaky Cauldron at around two o'clock after he'd finished going over the interview notes that he and Ron had taken the previous day.

Harry set to his task, though he found nothing interesting in any of the notes. None of what they had gathered was going to lead them to Voldemort's heir. They had only narrowed down a few known facts: the heir was female, similar to Voldemort in appearance before he delved so deep into the dark arts that he'd disfigured himself, and extremely proficient in cursing and potions work. She also appeared to know some about what went on in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Department of Mysteries; Tim had explained that his knowledge of how Muggle-borns and pure-bloods used their magical power had developed when he'd interned there for a few weeks after the war had first ended.

"I never worked with any girls, though…" he recalled later.

It was around one o'clock when Harry finished. He didn't feel like remaining in the empty office for another hour, so he walked into the streets of London until he reached the familiar doors of the Leaky Cauldron. He ordered a glass of firewhiskey from Hannah Abbott, after briefly teasing her about her and Neville's blossoming relationship, and then sat down at a table near the window to wait for Ron and Tim.

"Harry, what are you doing here?" Sabrina's voice suddenly asked. She sat down next to him, unfastening her cloak and throwing it over the chair.

"I'm supposed to meet Ron and Tim here at two," he explained. "You?"

"I just finished investigating a few local apothecaries with Proudfoot; we didn't find anything," she sighed. "This is troubling. I'm still upset that Marcus in Law Enforcement tried to finger Sophie in this whole curse business. He's her boss, he _has_ to know she's Muggle-born!"

"Maybe she didn't tell him?" Harry suggested.

"Oh, she did. I don't know… I think people are becoming hypersensitive, and everyone's become a suspect. It disrupts our attempts to find out who is the real heir when people make suggestions," she explained. "Anyway, you look rested. And it's good to see you in some fresh clothes."

"Yeah," replied Harry with sheepish grin. "Ginny was home yesterday; she made me dinner and forced me to shower. I sleep better when she's there… I know she's safe," he explained.

"What's going on with that anyway?" Sabrina asked, her dark eyes watching him curiously. "I mean… you were practically avoiding her, and now she comes home and makes you dinner and you're all better?"

"I was never angry with her; that was never the case. I'm just so afraid she's going to get hurt. But I realized last night that I can't just keep it from her. She wants to know; I mean, she loves me… so she wants to support me, and we can help each other through it… right?" he said, losing some of his confidence as Sabrina's eyes watched him.

"Well, yeah… in theory that works," she replied. "But, if something did happen to her, you'd lose it. Look at Tim; he's never going to get over Marie dying. You're too talented to let something like that happen to you. Why are you so scared she'll get hurt anyway? What makes you think they'll go after her?"

Harry shrugged. "It's just been a pattern; maybe I'm being paranoid, but the attacks and the attempts to get people to respond seem to be intended to draw me out to fight. The best way to get to me is to go after people I love. It worked for Voldemort; and obviously, his heir would know that. Plus, it works both ways; the best way to get everyone else riled up is to go after me…"

Sabrina nodded as she absorbed his words. "I know I tend to be a little too analytical, but I think you were right when you were explaining to Hermione about keeping Ginny safe. If that is the case, and they're going to go after everyone you love, and vice versa, wouldn't it be better to just … I don't know… stay away?"

"In my head that makes sense… but, I would prefer _not_ to do that," Harry replied.

"It just appears that everyone involved in fighting the Dark Arts stays away from relationships. Except you and Ron, and Neville I suppose. But Neville won't stay too long, I think; Ron and Hermione kind of work together in a way. But you and Ginny… she's in Quidditch and so far away from here it's hard for her to support and help you out. You don't want her to give that up do you?"

"Of course not, she loves playing for the Harpies. It's a good opportunity for her, I would never-"

"And it's good for you to be with the office, maybe your lives are just too opposite. If you love her, and she's in danger from being with you… maybe it's best if you just… keep her safe and let her be," Sabrina said, drumming her fingers on the table.

Harry sighed; Sabrina had just reiterated all of his worst fears: that Ginny would be better without him; safer, out of danger, able to pursue her own dreams instead of always supporting him in his. His heart was aching at the thought of letting Ginny go; already the tight feeling constricted his chest and his eyes pricked. But his head was telling him something completely different: that she'd never be safe while she was by his side.

"And maybe it'd be best if you shut the hell up," a sharp voice said from behind where Harry and Sabrina sat. They both turned to see Ginny standing with her arms crossed over her chest; her eyes were alight with anger and she glared at Sabrina with such rage that Harry felt bad for his co-worker.

"Ginny… I'm just trying to look out for-"

"Oh, that's the biggest load of dragon dung I've ever heard. You know nothing about me, or what I want, and for you to sit there and tell someone that they'd be better off isolating themselves from everyone they love is ridiculous! That's insane; how on Earth does that help?" she shouted, causing Sabrina to cower slightly.

"Ginny, I'm just trying to be practical about-" Sabrina started, but Harry waved her off.

"Ginny… I'm sorry; I should-"

Harry started to apologize to Ginny, but she shoved him away when his arms reached for her and stormed out the door. He followed quickly, not even bothering to say good bye to Sabrina.

"Ginny, wait!" he called, running to catch up with her. "I'm sorry! I'm not going to listen to her… but she's-"

"You'll talk to her about your fears and what's going on in your head, but you won't talk to me… how exactly is that supposed to make me feel, Harry?" Ginny asked, not bothering to turn around to look at him.

Fearing she would apparate away before he could explain himself, he reached out and gripped her hand tightly. "Stop; listen, she brought it up, I didn't. And she's got a point… it's not one I want to think about, but it is what I've been worrying about."

"Which part? The part about the fact that I'm in danger from all of this? Or the part that we're too opposite right now to be together?"

"The danger, of course; I worry about tying you down and keeping you from things you should do… but I don't think we're too opposite. It's just the danger you're in and-"

"Oh, wake up, Harry!" she shouted, ripping her hand from his. "If you haven't noticed, I've been in danger from being around you from day one. DAY ONE! Having a crush on you put me in danger! Do you think I didn't realize that being your girlfriend might possibly bring it all back?"

"I know!" Harry shouted back. "That's my point!"

"I've never shied away from it though! I've never backed down, or let Voldemort, Death Eaters, anything you go through scare me! You're supposed to be brave and bold, and here you are giving up on something that's supposed to matter to you?"

"I never said I was giving up! I just-"

"You just worry… you worry! You worry too damn much, Harry! If everyone let the fear of what could possibly happen to people they cared about run their lives there would be no people in love! Look at Bill and Fleur; he was attacked by a werewolf! Do you think that scared her? Don't you think she worried about herself being in danger? Of course she did, but she didn't let it tear them apart!"

"I know! And you don't let it tear you away either, which is -"

"But you do, Harry! You let it tear you away! How am I supposed to believe you love me when let your own worries tear you away? You've barely touched me for the last six weeks; you don't talk to me… you fight to protect everyone but you won't fight against yourself to keep me?"

"I am fighting for you! I'm fighting everything around me so you'll be safe! I just don't want you in the way!"

Ginny flushed; her face fell into a scowl then a frown. "I'm in the way?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch. Whether it was from anger or another emotion, Harry couldn't tell.

"That's not what I meant!" Harry shouted. He shook his head, "My biggest fear is that you'll get hurt, or something will happen to you. I'd do anything to keep you safe!" he explained. He stared at her fiercely, willing her to understand where he was coming from.

"If someone comes after you to get to me, how do you think I'd feel? I'd go insane from grief and guilt! You're not in the way… but … it's…" he sputtered, trying to explain where he was coming from. But he couldn't find the words, and even the thoughts he was having didn't make sense to him.

"You know what? I'll just make things a little easier for you," she said shaking her head and wiping a tear from her face. "I'll just stay out of your way until there's nothing for me to be afraid of? Or should I be afraid of you, and all the trouble that follows you wherever you go?"

"Ginny… I don't want you to be afraid of me; you should be afraid of what could happen to you if someone targets you because of me!"

"Or they could target me because I'm Hermione's best friend, Ron's sister, Arthur Weasley's daughter… you want me to go on? It's selfish and stupid of you to think that everything revolves and depends on you!"

"I don't think that! I just-"

"I'll just stay out of your way until the danger is past. This way you can worry about everyone else instead of me all the time," she said.

"I just don't want you to get hurt!" Harry shouted, reaching to grasp her hand again.

She stepped away from him and looked at him, her brown eyes glassy with tears and a sarcastic smile on her face. "But, Harry, _you're_ the only one who's hurting me right now… so, obviously, if you don't want me to get hurt, I should stay away from you."

With a bitter grin on her face, she turned on the spot and disappeared, leaving Harry standing on the sidewalk lost in his thoughts.

He didn't know how long he stood there, but the more time passed the angrier he felt. He was partially angry at her for listening to Sabrina and even thinking that he would leave her when he'd promised to never do that again. But he was more angry at himself for being so obsessed with keeping her safe from Death Eaters, and the Shadow, and whatever else was out there that he neglected to see that he was the one hurting her.

His distance, his emotions, his devotion, his presence… everything about him endangered Ginny Weasley one way or another.

"Harry! Hey," Ron's voice suddenly called. He walked down the path with Tim; they both were staring at him curiously. "We've been waiting in the Leaky Cauldron for ten minutes. Have you been out here the whole time?"

Not wanting to admit what had just happened, he lied promptly. "No… no I just got here. Let's go… let's do this… whatever it is we're going to do," he said.

Tim and Ron glanced at one another. "Well, we were just going to check out some old haunts… did you have something else in mind?"

"Yeah… yeah, I did," replied Harry. He felt reckless, angry at himself, and he wanted to do something. "Let's go to Diagon Alley… Borgin and Burkes. No one's asked him anything; the Death Eaters trafficked through his shop last time. He's probably friendly with some of the Shadow," he said, storming toward the Leaky Cauldron with Ron and Tim following curiously in his wake. They passed by Sabrina, she stood and moved toward Harry but he waved her off. He also realized just how angry he was with her for shoving her nose into his business. The brick wall faded away at the tap of his wand and he stormed into the street, which was less crowded than usual.

"Harry, are you okay?" Ron asked, catching up with him in a few long strides.

"Fine," Harry spat in reply. "I'm just pissed at myself and I want to get this over with."

"Why are you pissed? What happened to you this morning?" Ron asked. Tim had now flanked Harry's other and was listening closely.

Harry didn't respond, he walked quicker so they couldn't keep pace and turned into Knockturn Alley without even a pause.

He hadn't gotten but three steps away from Borgin and Burkes when there was a flash of light behind him. Harry turned over his shoulder; Tim had ducked to dodge whatever spell was cast and Ron had thrown himself to the side. Harry stared briefly into the pale blue eyes of Amycus Carrow before the man raised his wand and shouted "_STUPEFY_!"

Harry reached into his robes, but it was too late. The spell hit him squarely in the chest. For a brief moment, he registered pain; but then the feeling, along with sight and sound, were extinguished as he faded into the darkness.


	33. Alone

**Alone**

"Set Fire to the Third Bar" Snow Patrol

* * *

"I thought I was in your way…"

Harry shook his head, staring into Ginny's eyes with such ferocity that she blushed. "Never, not once, have you ever been in my way," he said.

She smiled gently, and reached out her hands for his. Harry gripped them tightly. "You should have told me," she whispered.

Harry opened his mouth, but Ginny sighed heavily and disappeared from his vision. He walked forward, looking around for her… vaguely he could hear his name being called in the distance…

"Harry! Wake up!"

"Git him out of here!"

"_Offendo_!" Ron's voice shouted; Harry recognized it through the murky haze of several other voices. He struggled to open his eyes, the lingering effects of the stunning spell making his vision blurry.

His glasses were suddenly slammed on his face. "Get up! Get up!" Tim shouted, shaking him and trying to pull him to his feet. "We've got to get out of here!"

Harry sat up, shaking his head and stumbling to his feet. Flashes of light told him there was some kind of a battle going on, but he knew not how many people were involved.

"_SECTUMSEMPRA_!" a voice called. Harry looked to his left to see the spell graze Ron's arm; he cried out in pain and fired a spell back at the caster. Tim pulled Harry up and practically dragged him over to where Ron was. He muttered something and pointed his wand at the wound, moving away just in time to deflect another stunning spell that was sent their way.

Before Harry could fully gather his senses, all three men were tackled from behind. Harry was tugged away from Ron and Tim and saw the latter struggling with Rowle as he towered over them. He issued Tim a vicious kick in the ribs and knocked his wand away. The man grabbed Ron by the back of his shirt and attempted to drag him off as well, but Ron turned and punched him hard in the stomach as he got to his feet. Tim had managed to recover his wand by this time, and they were now both dueling with Rowle, who had resumed his attacks.

Not bothering to look at who had a hold of him, Harry pulled out his wand and cast a stinging hex toward his assailant. He heard Alecto shriek and release him from her grasp. Harry stood and began firing spells at her when he was tackled from behind again. He fell flat on his face, his head slamming into the pavement.

"Yer not getting out of this one, Potter!" Amycus hissed in his ear. Harry grunted and rolled onto his back, flipping Amycus off of him as he fired a stunning spell. He missed and Amycus and Alecto both started firing on him. He vaguely heard Tim and Ron shouting something at him, but he was so distracted that he couldn't catch what it was.

A spell of immense power must have struck Rowle; Harry heard a howl of pain and suddenly Ron was at his side, taking over his battle with Alecto. Harry glanced to his left and saw Tim now wrestling with the tall figure on the ground. A few seconds passed in their duel, and suddenly a figure came up behind them and grabbed Ron around the neck. Harry turned and attempted to issue a spell at Mulciber, who had joined the fight, but his wand arm was knocked out of the way at the same time he was hit by a hex that caused a wave of nausea to roll over him. He doubled over and watched as Mulciber dragged Ron, kicking and fighting, away from the fray. Harry aimed a spell at him, but was suddenly hit by a much worse pain than what was in his stomach.

"_CRUCIO_!" Alecto had shouted. Harry fell to the ground and writhed in agony. After a few moments, the pain stopped. Harry gasped and raised his arm. "_Expelliarmus_!" he shouted, not pointing it in any direction in particular. He saw Tim running to stand in front of him and engage Alecto; his attention turned back to Amycus, who was now running at him without his wand.

Harry had managed to halfway right himself when the man slammed into him violently. Amycus' fist hit him square in the jaw; pain shot through Harry but he ignored it and attempted to fight back. He was amazed at how strong the former Death Eater was as he received several more blows to his face and shoulders. Harry was finally able to get the upper hand by kicking the death eater between the legs. Rolling him over, Harry punched him several times before turning his wand on him.

Tim cried out in pain suddenly, and Harry looked up to see him fall, clutching his side which was drenched in blood. He moved to stun Alecto, but she was too quick for him.

"_CRUCIO_!"

Harry felt himself fall to the ground, the agony of the curse raced throughout his body. Fire seared at his bones; it felt like his skin was being ripped off of him. He could hear himself screaming, but could concentrate on nothing but the agony. Time passed… he had no idea how much, but the intensity of the curse changed and suddenly he was subjected to a new type of pain.

Unbidden images raced into his mind, causing him to scream out now in pain and terror. The figures of Ginny, Ron, and Hermione were lying on the ground in front of him. Mrs. and Mr. Weasley, Teddy Lupin, Tim, George and Angelina… Bill and Fleur… all of them were suffering. There was nothing he could do; he was suffering the same curse. All he could do was scream and watch as they were tortured; he wondered vaguely if he would become numb to the pain. And after a while, he prayed that he would… but the torture lingered on; his own voice ringing in his ears blocked out every other sound. He wondered if he would ever feel another sensation other than this intense fire and pain ever again… would he die like this? Would he never again have the pleasant sensation of Ginny's skin against his? Or the feel of the wind on his face and in his hair? The feel of laughter in his lungs, of joy in his heart… they would never come again.

"Git him out of here," a raspy voice hissed. Harry could feel air race into his lungs, it still felt like fire. He felt himself lifted off the ground, and struggled weakly against whoever was levitating him. He realized then that his hands and feet were bound, and his wand had been taken from him. It took all his effort to open his eyes and infinitesimal amount; Ron lay panting on the sidewalk, his face was covered in blood and his breathing seemed shallow. Tim was a few feet away from him, still as a corpse and just as pale.

"Stop…" Harry whispered, struggling again. Someone slapped him across the face and laughed. He saw out of the corner of his eye Ron now being levitated behind him by Rowle, who looked just as roughed up as Harry felt.

"How bloody far does this damn jinx extend?" Amycus' voice asked. Harry realized he was talking about the anti-disapparation jinx someone must have cast. "She's going to meet us with the other two by the border; then it'll be time."

"Why, again, does she need them all?" Alecto asked.

"Ya don't listen, do ya? Fear… for Potter over watching his friends suffer, and then he'll do anything. He'll give up his wand, he'll give up his blood; and as soon as she has his blood… the Dark Lord will rise again," Amycus explained. "I'm not complaining though… that pretty little ginger girl is a nice prize, and the mudblood the other Weasley carries isn't too bad herself," he said with such relish it made Harry's stomach turn.

"No… no," Harry muttered, struggling again. Alecto slapped him harder this time, his head ached with pain.

"Shut up," she hissed.

Suddenly there was a loud bang and Harry felt the cords disappear from his feet and hands. He fell to the ground and groaned loudly as he hit the pavement. Amycus swore and Alecto fired spell after spell at approaching figures.

Harry felt himself being pulled away from what sounded like the beginnings of another fight. A light voice in his ear gave him the impression that it was Mrs. Weasley who was now hovering over him. He heard Ron's voice from beside him, it was weak and shaky. Harry opened his eyes and stood up, ignoring Mrs. Weasley's protests.

"Harry, sit. We're going to get you out of here and to the hospital; you're terribly injured, now sit," she said, gripping him by the shoulders and trying to guide him away from the action.

"Who's… who's down there?" he asked.

"Tim sent a message to Gideon right as the attack started. He notified Arthur before he, Kingsley and Neville headed down here. It's a good thing he notified Arthur; we were able to get Hermione's parents out of their offices before they got to them," explained Mrs. Weasley.

"What do you mean 'got to them'?" asked Ron, a little more life coming into his voice.

"They were going after everyone. Travers showed up at Mungo's disguised as Amos Diggory, but Hermione caught on to that in about thirty seconds and stunned him. She had a hard time convincing the healers that it wasn't who they thought it was, but as soon as the Polyjuice Potion wore off they called Proudfoot to come get him. It was about this time that Arthur got the message from Gideon. He let me know and I took Hermione to the Burrow to stay with Angelina and George. The shop was attacked too," she said quietly to Ron.

"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked in a panicky voice.

"She's in Holyhead; I sent Bill to get her … Everyone is safe. Bill and Fleur have set up another Fidelius Charm around the cottage, so they'll be fine. Bill is actually here now, and so is George," Mrs. Weasley explained.

"Looks like they've got them," Ron commented suddenly, Harry nodded weakly.

Amycus and Alecto Carrow were now being led up the alley by Tim, who looked exhausted and bloody from his injuries. Lansing approached behind him, taking the two prisoners and muttering something to Tim who nodded and stepped aside. Kingsley and Mr. Weasley followed behind, escorting Rowle and levitating an unconscious Mulciber. Mrs. Weasley scowled as they passed; Amycus saw her expression and laughed.

"It's not over yet… there's more of us, and we'll capture Potter soon enough. The Dark Lord and his Heir will rule over the Muggles and your blood-traitor friends sooner than you think," he laughed.

Lansing shoved the man forward and kept walking. They watched as he removed the Anti-Disapparition jinx and disappeared on the spot, followed by Kingsley and Mr. Weasley a few seconds later.

"Come on," Mrs. Weasley said, helping Ron to his feet and placing a hand on Harry's shoulder. "Oh, you both look affright! You need to get to the hospital. Tim, I'm assuming you are to come as well, so let's go then," she said firmly.

Tim nodded and walked ahead of them, also turning and vanishing. Mrs. Weasley watched as the boys followed and then disappeared herself.

Over the next hour, as the healers worked to repair their numerous wounds, Tim relayed to Harry what he had missed. Amycus had stunned him on the steps of Borgin and Burke's shop and proceeded to begin attacking. "I assumed it was going to be pretty easy to round him up, but then that sister of his came out of nowhere and joined in. And then Rowle and Mulicber came out of the shop; they tried to pull you inside and Ron inside. Ron fought back and that's when it really got bad," he explained.

He winced as a nurse dabbed dittany onto a large cut on his side. Ron had also received several cuts and was being treated for them as well. Harry examined himself: a large cut ran from his shoulder to the middle of his chest and he was covered in bruises. The other two seemed worse off than he was, but Harry felt exceptionally weak and listless.

"You were tortured for … a long time," Ron explained after Harry asked why he felt so awful. "We tried… but they were on us, Rowle, Mulciber and Amycus… all of them. I'm sorry… I don't know how long they did it… we-"

"Ron, stop. You were hit with it too, right?" asked Harry, watching as Ron nodded. "Four against three is never good odds… well, two really. How long was I out when I got stunned?"

"Dunno… it all happened so fast," Ron replied.

The door to the room they were in burst open; in walked Kingsley, Lansing and Mr. Weasley. All three of them looked like there was an agenda on the plate. It wasn't long before Hermione arrived, along with her parents. She rushed to Ron's side, examining him closely after he released her from an embrace. Harry felt an intense pang of longing as he watched them; the feel of Ginny safe in his arms would be a welcome relief right now. Neville, Sabrina and Proudfoot now filed into the room just as Lansing cleared his throat and everyone turned to face him.

"Okay, Travers cracked. The threat of trying to get him to reveal the actual heir made him explain that the only time the curse is enacted is when they talk about her. But she didn't limit their discussions to the plans in place.

"The goal is to get rid of everyone who played a major part in the final battle and whomever helped put the Liaison council in place and write those new laws. So, in effect, that's everyone in this room. You need to go into hiding for … a week, probably not much longer. Just enough time for us to form a plan and throw them off the trail," he explained.

"We can all stay between the burrow and Shell Cottage, I bet," Mrs. Weasley said as she looked around the room.

"It's actually probably better if you are split up to some extent. Obviously I'd rather you just kept to yourselves for a week, but I know that's asking a lot since you're all family, so do what you must," explained Lansing.

"Fidelius Charm?" Ron asked.

"Yes, that's the best way."

He glanced at Hermione and her parents, who looked frightened and unsure of what was happening. "We'll go to Somerset," he said, indicating Hermione and himself as he spoke to the Grangers. "This way you'll be better protected, and it's close to the Burrow in case of an emergency," he explained. Hermione smiled and her parents relaxed their expressions.

"Molly, you know how to perform the charm?" Lansing asked, watching as she nodded.

"I'll take them, and I'll be the secret keeper. Arthur will take care of our house; I'll get Ginny on my way back from Somerset. Bill and Fleur already have the charm set up, so she's safe for now," she explained quietly. She moved toward where Ron, Hermione and the Grangers sat and began to discuss their plans. A few moments later, they left after saying a quiet good bye to Harry. Molly told him she'd see him later; Harry wondered if she assumed he'd be staying at the Burrow or Shell Cottage. His plans actually included neither residence.

"Harry?" said Mr. Weasley, seemingly reading his unspoken thoughts. "You are welcome-"

"Did you discuss their primary target?" Harry asked Lansing and Kingsley, interrupting what Mr. Weasley had been about to say.

"Harry, it doesn't matter. Everyone is a target; they primarily said the four of you, but-"

"Did you discuss it? If they can't get to everyone, who are they after the most?" Harry pressed. Lansing and Kingsley said nothing, and their silence confirmed his suspicions. "Mr. Weasley… Arthur… thank you. But I don't want to put… everyone in more danger. I'll stay at Grimmauld Place; I'll be fine."

Mr. Weasley sighed. "If that's what you wish. I'll be your secret keeper, then," he said quietly. "Head on back to Grimmauld Place when you're ready, set up your protective Charms, and I'll be there around six."

Tim piped up suddenly. "Harry, you'll need to eat and sleep if you're to recover after being tortured that long. Let us know if you need anything," he said quietly. Harry nodded and followed Mr. Weasley out the door without saying a word.

Twenty minutes later, he stood inside the hallway of Grimmauld Place, feeling much like Sirius had when he was entombed there during Harry's fifth year. Though at least there had been order members, now there would be no one. But this was _his _choice; he was finally making the right decision to protect everyone from the curse of his existence. He thought about turning himself in to any member of the Shadow that would have him, just to get it all over with, but he knew that would only bring more trouble for everyone he loved.

Love… Dumbledore had always said that was his greatest strength. And though he loved Ginny fiercely, and thought of Ron as a brother and Hermione a sister, his love wasn't enough to keep them safe. Harry let out a bitter laugh, noting how empty it made the house sound. He always thought being isolated and alone would be easy; it'd always been like that at the Dursleys', and he had once relished the chance to be alone. Now he found himself dreading it, and the thought of being alone for the next week was similar to the thought of having bamboo shoved under his fingernails.

And now it hit him, what he and Hermione had discussed less than a week ago. Thinking about how badly it would hurt to be without Ginny was one thing, experiencing it was another. Her words echoed in his head, "_I'll stay out of your way… you're the one that's hurting me._"

Harry swore and watched as the glass that was set on the table shattered into pieces. He walked forward, looking at pictures that seemed to have been strategically placed to torture him more. Ginny and him at George's wedding; at a Quidditch game last season, a letter he'd kept because she'd drawn the most amusing picture of a stag on it…

His eyes pricked, there was nothing he could do… he was alone to protect others. And no matter how much he wanted to see her, he didn't have a right to. He'd hurt her, he had promised he'd never leave her again and he ignored her when she needed it. He'd tried to protect her, and she was targeted anyway; he had tried to keep her safe, but caused her pain instead.

Now that he knew they were after Ginny as well as himself, he found that he was scared and upset that she was not by his side. He longed to be able to protect her, but being by his side was the reason she needed protection. It was a circle of never ending doubts and fears; and he stood in the middle, watching it spin. Watching his whole reason for living disappear from his life.

The last six hours had been just as insane for Ginny as they had been for everyone she cared about. Infuriated by the conversation she witnessed between Harry and Sabrina, she had Apparated back to Holyhead without second thought. Her head was rampant with thoughts of Harry's words that he'd spoken to Sabrina, his useless defense when she called him out, and above all, the fact that he had confirmed her worst fear.

That she was in his way.

It had come out like that, that she was in his way, but deep inside she knew Harry was not good with words and he didn't mean it in the way she had interpreted it. Still though, it felt like she had been slapped across the face when he said the words.

Despite his fears, since this had all come to a head again, she had had her own. She was in Holyhead with Quidditch, he was in London with the Auror Office. It had been fine for the most part, but she missed him during the week when she was away. The weekends were wonderful, she looked forward to seeing his face with such anticipation it made her unable to focus at times.

But since their visit to Godric's Hollow, she'd sensed a change in him. At first, when they were still in the village, it was a change in the way he kissed her. It was tender and passionate and… possessive. She felt a definite confirmation that he wanted her for the rest of his life. She'd always wondered if he'd thought about marriage, if he wanted a family and children; she knew somewhere he did and that was the day she felt the shift. She had been anxious and nervous about going home with him that afternoon, the possibilities of what could have possibly happened had driven her fantasies for so long…

And then it started again: the stalking, the danger, and the dark magic… the shadow that hung over him always.

"At least they named the stupid group appropriately," she muttered bitterly to herself.

"Ginny?"

Ginny turned around to see Emma Jefferies, her roommate at the Harpies housing unit and seeker on her team, walking toward her with a confused expression on her face. "I thought you were taking a nap? That was short lived."

"Come again?"

"I just talked to you in our dormitory. You asked me to leave because you wanted to sleep…" explained Emma again, her voice trailing off in confusion.

At first Ginny stared at her curiously, wondering if her roommate had been confunded or if a Ginny Weasley doppelganger was wandering around Holyhead. But then a light clicked in her head, and her years of following Fred and George around and moonlighting as a junior Auror with the Dumbledore's army were suddenly put to use.

"Did I say anything odd?"

Emma frowned. "No… you said you'd had a long night and needed to rest. Yesterday, I thought you were going to London because your friend got poisoned or something?"

"My friend was cursed… so were almost all the Muggle-borns that work in the Ministry of Magic," she said bluntly. Emma gasped and started to ask another question but Ginny waved her off. "How long ago did I tell you to leave?"

"Not even five minutes… this is really confusing."

"Well, that's not me in our room. I was in London yesterday, tending to my cursed soon to be sister-in-law and arguing with my boyfriend this morning," explained Ginny. She motioned for Emma to come with her and walked very quickly into the Holyhead stadium.

"Damn damn damn!" she spat. Obviously someone was impersonating her, but who and why? There were numerous possibilities; and brave as she might be, Ginny didn't feel like tackling a member of the Shadow, who would probably summon friends as soon as she arrived, alone. Nor did she feel like subjecting her roommate to the drama that seemed to surround her group of friends.

"So… er… I'm not exactly sure what we should do," Ginny said nervously.

"Can't you call on Harry? Or… you said you just fought so maybe you don't want to… I'm sorry," muttered Emma sheepishly.

"We did fight, but that's another issue entirely. He was supposed to meet up with some other Aurors, so it'll be good to have a bunch of them," she admitted. Ginny took the clasp of her bracelet and spun it twice around, knowing that Harry would feel it as she did the day he summoned her.

Fifteen minutes passed, and no one arrived. Ginny paced nervously… this was odd. Even if her and Harry had argued, even if he was angry at her for storming off as she did (not like he had a right to be), he would never ignore her or leave her hanging if he thought she was in danger. "Something's not right… this is wrong. Someone is impersonating me, Harry's not responding. This is not okay," she finally said to a silent Emma.

"Well… from my point, how do I know that you're you and the girl in our dorm is not you?"

"Well… one, I have my bracelet on," she said holding up her wrist. "Two, I understood what you were talking about when you said it was confusing that I was back when I was supposed to be visiting Hermione. Three… ask me anything about the team, I'll know it."

Emma studied Ginny with an amused smirk. "All right, you've convinced me," she said with a chuckle. "Well, here's my thought: you're no sissy little girl, and neither am I. I say we find Gwenog, tell her what's going on, and she'll get that feisty little bodyguard of hers to help us out with whoever decided they'd be better off as you."

Ginny smirked, "All right, then. Let's go."

It didn't take long for them to locate Gwenog and the team's bodyguard and explain the situation. The bodyguard sent a message to the local branch of Magical law enforcement and explained the situation before they set off for their dorms.

"Ginny, I hate to say this… but I think Potter is right about dragging you into danger," Gwenog said darkly. "What is this? The second time now we've had something like this happen?"

Ginny scowled, she had briefly explained her argument with Harry to Emma and Gwenog before they approached the dorm where she stayed most nights of the week. "It's not like he asks for it; and I don't think that's a good reason for pushing me away like he's been doing," she said harshly.

"No… but, still; who am I to judge? You're a little firecracker, you can handle it," replied Gwenog in a soothing tone.

They reached her dormitory, the door was shut and the hall was quiet. Gwenog, Emma, and the bodyguard, Jakob, would wait out in the hall while Ginny went into investigate.

She opened the door unceremoniously, not even bothering to be cautious. But after observing the room for a moment, she realized she never could have prepared herself for what was waiting for her.

Dolores Umbridge sat peacefully on Emma's bed, twirling her wand absentmindedly, the last remnants of Polyjuice potion fading away as her hair turned back to mousy brown over fiery read. She fired a wordless stunning spell at Ginny, which was blocked with complete ease.

"Well… I see Potter's attempt at teaching wasn't wasted on you," Umbridge said in what Ginny assumed was to be a complementary tone. "Do you think he'll come running if he finds out the trouble you're in?"

"What trouble am I in?" said Ginny coolly.

"Well, it's more him than you, I suppose. But the best way to really force him into submission will be to harm you, so I'm to bring you in to her," Umbridge said walking closer to Ginny.

"To whom am I to be brought?" Ginny said in an unnaturally calm voice.

"The Dark Lord's heir, of course. I must say, it's going to be a relief to finally see a few members of your family killed off… but that's another story for another time," Umbridge responded.

Ginny was about to comment back when she was suddenly grabbed from behind by a pair of strong arms. She screamed loudly, causing Gwenog, Emma and Jakob to run into the room. Umbridge betrayed a moment of hesitation at the appearance of three unexpected visitors, but it allowed Jakob enough time to rid her of her wand and subdue her before attempting to tackle the man who had grabbed hold of Ginny. His stunning spell missed, and she felt herself being carried out the door by who ever had hold of her.

"NO!" she screamed, kicking and thrashing violently against the person's grasp. She could hear Emma and Gwenog firing spells in the direction she was being carried, but none of them seemed to make contact. The light in the hallway was getting brighter, and Ginny realized they were heading outside. She struggled harder and managed to kick whoever was carrying her in the shins. It caused the kidnapper to trip and fall on top of her frame, but it gave Gwenog and Emma enough time to catch up. They pulled the figure off of Ginny, but by the time she had turned over to help, Gwenog had taken a punch to the face and Emma had been thrown violently against the wall.

Ginny braced herself for attack, but looked up and saw what appeared to be a male figure racing away from them out the door. Behind her, struggling with Jakob, Ginny could hear Umbridge shouting that the figure was a coward, and for some unknown reason Ginny found herself struggling not to laugh.

Law enforcement arrived, took a statement from everyone involved, and hauled a screaming and indignant Umbridge to London for processing. Gwenog invited Ginny and Emma for a drink, but Ginny was concerned about why Harry didn't come to her aid and decided she would go to London after a quick stop at Bill and Fleur's to change.

She apparated to Shell Cottage and knocked on the door. To her surprise, Bill answered and his expression made her take a step back. "Get inside!" he hissed. She walked in and he slammed the door. Ginny watched as he waved his wand and the house seemed to glow with warmth. He walked over to Fleur, and she finished muttering an incantation that Ginny did not recognize. Bill inhaled deeply as a light passed from her wand into his chest. Finally, they stopped and he hugged her tightly before placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Ginny, you are now Secret Keeper to our house as well… so, don't tell anyone," Bill muttered.

"Fidelius Charm? What for? Wha… Okay, all right! What's going on? I tried to contact Harry, no response. I was just in Holyhead and Dolores Umbridge somehow got a hold of some of my hair and decided to impersonate me. If it hadn't been for the fact that my roommate knew I was actually out of town yesterday, I would have probably been kidnapped by her and someone else. And now-"

"You what? What happened?" Bill and Fleur both asked.

Ginny growled and repeated her story at top speed. "What's going on?" she shouted when she was finished.

"Well something is going on. Hermione was almost kidnapped from Mungo's; Mum just called through the Floo network and told me to come get you from Holyhead. You saved me a trip, I suppose. I've got to go… Fleur, just… stay here with Victorie, I'll be back later. Ginny, Mum will probably come by and fetch you, so just wait –"

"Fetch me?" Ginny said irately. "What am I? A dog toy? I want someone to explain to me what the hell is going on!" she screamed loudly.

Bill walked over to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Cool it… just stay here," he said sternly. With that, he walked out the door and apparated into nothingness. Ginny walked toward the window of Shell Cottage and stared out over the sea, confusion, worry and fear clouding her tired mind.

There was a knock at the door of Grimmauld Place and Harry's senses flew into high gear. He opened it with his wand and stood at the ready, though still unsteady on his feet. Tim and Mr. Weasley stepped inside cautiously.

"Harry, it's just Tim and I. You're dating my daughter, Ginevra Molly, after I granted you permission. You're going to be best man to my son Ron when he marries Hermione next May, and you are extremely fond of my wife's onion soup and treacle tart," Mr. Weasley said in a soothing voice.

Harry lowered his wand and relaxed his posture. Tim eyed him curiously, "I told you to eat, you obviously haven't eaten," he said sternly.

"Well, you seem to have gotten more observant in the last two hours," muttered Harry sarcastically. He was in mourning for several things; Kreacher, his friends and family, Ginny… he didn't need Tim to lecture him on why he should be eating.

"Well, let's get this done so you're safe," Mr. Weasley said. Harry raised his head curiously. "Everyone else has theirs set up; I'll be your secret keeper, and you can be ours for The Burrow."

"Weren't you your own Secret Keeper last time?" Harry asked. "I mean… yes, of course I'll be glad to do it… but I don't want you to put yourself at risk for being mine…"

"The risk is mine to take on, Harry. But Kingsley and Lansing decided that since you are the primary target, it'd be better for you to have someone else do the Secret Keeping for your residence. It'll be more difficult to locate you this way; you won't be able to reveal the location to anyone, even on accident; Kingsley is on his way, and only he and I will be able to give out your location. Since you'll be more protected, everyone at the Burrow will be as well," Mr. Weasley explained gently.

Harry considered this. If he couldn't admit his whereabouts, he couldn't tell anyone to come visit him. This prevented Ron and Hermione from coming home, and prevented Ginny from seeing him unless Mr. Weasley deemed it prudent to reveal his where-abouts.

Harry sighed heavily; he knew if it was up to him, he would eventually crack and tell them all where he was because he wouldn't be able to stand the loneliness that was descending upon him. He would tell Ginny the first chance he got, because he was sorry for their argument earlier, and he was sorry he had pushed her away. But now, for her own safety, he would not get the chance to tell her that. His chest tightened and his eyes pricked, but he inhaled sharply and pulled himself together_. It's better this way… you can't… you've hurt her too bad and you can't keep putting her in danger_, he told himself severely.

"All right," Harry muttered, trying to ignore the pain that crept into his voice. He saw Tim and Mr. Weasley frown from out of the corner of his eye. Just then, the door opened and Kingsley stepped inside.

"Are we ready?" he asked quietly.

Mr. Weasley looked at Harry, who nodded and kept his eyes on his trainers. Tim suddenly walked forward and thrust a package into Harry's hands. "Eat this, and take the potion inside once you are finished. It will help you get your strength back. Take care, man," he said, clapping Harry on the shoulder. Harry nodded and watched him leave.

Attention turned back to the task at hand. Kingsley waved his wand in a complex motion; Harry vaguely registered the house filling with warmth. He turned to Arthur and muttered a few words; a light glowed at the end of his wand and traveled into Mr. Weasley's chest. They both sighed heavily and looked at Harry.

"Arthur and I are the only people who can reveal your location; you will not be able to tell others your address unless we tell you the address. Is that all right?"

_No. Arthur, I'd really like to find your daughter and apologize before I'm locked away for her safety_, Harry thought to himself. "Yes, that's fine," he muttered, ignoring the protests inside his head.

Kingsley frowned, but nodded his head. Arthur walked to where Harry was and patted him on the shoulder, before pulling him into a brief hug. "Harry, if you need anything, come to the Burrow… please. None of us like the idea of this, but if you feel it's best we'll go along with it," he said quietly. Harry nodded, but continued to stare at the floor. He heard Kingsley and Arthur exchange a few words and then the door shut.

Kingsley cleared his throat. "Are you sure about this?"

"No," Harry confessed. "I… I don't want anyone else hurt… I just want this over with."

"We're making a plan, and I'll keep you posted by owl daily. Just… take this time to relax. Maybe something will hit you and it will all make sense. But, don't hesitate to reach out if you need something. You'll be able to reach Molly and Arthur by Floo Network, and my office as well," Kingsley explained.

Harry nodded, but knew he would not contact them so they could remain safe.

"All right, then," Kingsley muttered quietly. "Harry, you'll need to actually look at me for this to work."

Harry lifted his head, which felt like it was full of sand. He was not bothered at all by being a Secret Keeper for the Burrow. He knew that Ginny would be taken there as soon as possible and knowing that would keep him sane. At least she would be safe, and he would have some responsibility for it. That would never make up for the pain he caused her, but it calmed him slightly.

"Harry Potter, the location of the residence of Molly and Arthur Weasley is known as The Burrow. Three kilometers south of Ottery St. Catchpole; are you aware of this residence?"

"Yes."

"Do you promise to keep the whereabouts of this location secret and safe to protect the residents within?"

"Yes."

Harry watched as the end of Kingsley's wand glowed with a blinding white light; he felt as though his heart was on fire at the same time. The light passed from the tip of the wand into Harry's chest. There was a tight constricting sensation mixed with shivers that raced throughout Harry's body.

**"****_Fidelius Amicus, Conservo_****_Specialis_****," Kingsley said firmly. The heat inside Harry's chest ceased, and he breathed a sigh of relief. **

**"Arthur asked me to cast the spell so I would also be aware of the location, but the Secret resides within you. I know you'll keep it, and so will I," Kingsley assured him. He looked as though he wanted to say more, but fell silent. Harry shook his hand and watched as the man left, the click of the door lock felt like a nail in his coffin.**

**Harry opened the package Tim had thrust upon him. There were several sandwiches inside, along with a vial of purple liquid and a bottle of Firewhiskey. Harry laughed to himself and set to eating the sandwiches. Once he was finished he drank the purple liquid in one gulp, then started on the Firewhiskey. **

**_You can't tell anyone where you live_****, he told himself. He wasn't going to work for a few days, he knew that. He wondered if he left the house if he could find his way back, he didn't even think to ask. **

**_Ginny_****… **

**His thoughts became solemn instantaneously. He didn't know when he would see her again, and when he did… would she forgive him for his stupidity? He realized now how stupid he was to think that he could always keep her safe, or that she would even want that. She had told him how selfish he was to think that everything revolved around him, and she was right. He was the primary target, yes, but they were all in danger together. At least if she were with him, they could fight against whatever was coming together.**

**And now the truth of his stupidity fell upon him. All she wanted was to be involved; it was like the Room of Requirement all over again. He could hear her shouting "****_my whole family's here, I can't stand waiting there alone and not knowing_****…" **

**He had told her to stay then, and had told her to stay this time… like she was some sort of animal he could command.**

**She wasn't an animal; she wasn't fragile; she wasn't a princess he could lock away in a tower to keep safe. She was Ginny, and ****_that_**** was why he loved her; her tenacity, her bravery, her willingness to accept the danger and work through it. And now she was gone, and her problem solving and bravery that had been so useful and so supportive to him, was gone with her.**

**He suddenly wished he could be selfish. He wished he would have had the courage to tell Arthur Weasley, "****_I love your daughter, could you tell her where I am so I can apologize to her?_****" He needed her, like he needed oxygen; her absence made him feel as though he was suffocating. Not knowing how long it would be before he saw her face again was torture, it was worse than his suffering under Alecto Carrow's wand.**

**If he could see her now, he would throw himself into her arms and hold her tightly in his. He would tell her how sorry he was, and how much he loved her. If she didn't believe him, he would do everything he could think of to show her.**

**"S****_how me…"_**

**Harry cursed and threw his glass of firewhiskey against the wall as Ginny's words echoed in his head. He sat down in a chair and laid his head against the table as the weight of his loneliness crashed upon him.**

The waves of the sea crashed violently against the rocks of Azkaban prison. Dolores Umbridge sat in her cell, fuming; the one whom The Dark Lady had appointed to assist her had abandoned her. "Coward," she screamed.

"Shut it, Umbridge!" Amycus' voice called from the cell adjacent to hers. "Can't you give it a rest?"

"I've been in here for over a year! I'll not have your filthy, stupid mouth telling me to shut up!" Umbridge screamed throwing herself against the bars.

Amycus laughed. "Ya think she's going to let you out? You didn't even last five minutes against the little blood-traitor!"

"She gave me faulty information… the girl was supposed to be in Holyhead but it turns out she was in London, with Potter. So why didn't you capture her?" Umbridge shouted.

"Because they're just as useless as you are," a low male voice muttered from the end of the cell block.

"YOU! You coward!" Umbridge screamed at the figure. "You left me there, ran off and left me! You-"

"I was under different orders, it appears that I am more important to the Lady than you are," the figure muttered.

"I suppose you're going to tell me next that she sent you here to kill us…" Umbridge tittered, not a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"No," the Dark One muttered as she approached. She fingered the long yew wand lightly, not looking any of them in the face.

"You all have failed in your orders," she said quietly. She raised her wand and aimed it into Umbridge's cell. "Every…" she turned toward Alecto and Amycus… "Single…" to Rowle, Mulicber and Travers, "one of you…"

The occupants of the cells cowered on the ground, blisters erupting all over their bodies. "I'm beginning to realize why my father operated for so many years without any companions. It was only when he learned how to control his charges that he rose to power. This is a key I must master from him, one of several points I still need to learn," she continued quietly.

"What has become of the targets?"

The tall man in the cloak who had arrived just before her sighed. "They are all now under the protection of the Fidelius Charm. Potter and Weasley will not return to the Auror office for the next week. That was the last I heard," he explained.

"Then we wait," she muttered in response. "In the mean time, I have brought you all some company. They are starving and you're full of much emotion… let this be a lesson that I shouldn't have to repeat once I have released you again."

The occupants of the cells looked at each other in fear. The Dark Lady and her companion walked away, and soon after they left, a cold chill fell upon the prison cells. Dementors fell into place as guardians of the cells, inhaling furiously at the occupants, who began to scream in terror as they felt their souls being fed upon…


	34. Together

A/N: I posted these two back to back on the sneaking suspicion that several of my reviewers might protest loudly if I didn't. All my chapters are beta'd so the rest will be coming soon! Thanks to Sierra, my supportive and amusing beta and all the reviewers who continue to leave me feedback!

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**Together**

**"The Scientist" Coldplay**

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It had started to rain, and Ginny stared at out the window at the sea. The waves crashed upon the rocks again and again, she expected at some point it would become soothing; but that point never came.

"Ginny? Iz somezhing ze matter? You have hardly spoken," Fleur asked quietly. Ginny turned around to see her sitting on the couch, her hands folded in her lap. Baby Victiore was lying in her bassinette, cooing at the toys that floated above her.

"Yes… something is wrong," replied Ginny angrily. "I had a fight with Harry this morning, and now I have no idea where he is. I tried to use the Affinity Charm he gave me to contact him, but he didn't respond. Then I was attacked, and now I'm stuck here – not that this is a bad place to be – confused as to what the hell is going on.

"I'm so tired of everyone treating me like this little breakable doll; like I can't handle anything. That's what Harry and I fought about," she explained as she collapsed in a chair across from Fleur.

Fleur sighed and smirked slightly. She stood and looked out the window from left to right, then waved her wand and a bottle of Firewhiskey flew onto the table in front of Ginny, along with a tumbler. Ginny raised her eyebrows.

"I was checking for Bill… I don' zhink he would approve, but to hell with what he zhinks," she said gently. Ginny chuckled lightly and poured the liquid in to the glass, glancing around for a second one. "It eez jus for you, I cannot have any becauze I am still breastfeeding; I do not want a drunk baby at zhis moment… give me a few months," she teased.

Ginny laughed again and took a drink of the searing liquor. "See, that's exactly what I'm talking about. I'm of age; there's no reason on Earth Bill should care if I have a drink. But he does, and Harry was all worried about all of this stuff. Ugh, George is the only one who treats me like I can handle what's happening with life!"

"Yez, I have noticed zhat. You are ze youngest, I suppose… but I agree with you," Fleur said quietly. "Tell me about zhis argument with Harry."

Ginny sighed heavily and explained what happened. She had come to the Leaky Cauldron intending to go to Diagon Alley and pick up some cleaning supplies for her Firebolt when she saw Harry sitting and talking to Sabrina, his co-worker. "Harry would never… cheat on me, that's not why I stopped to listen. But, it was strange to see them. She was talking to him very intensely, so I … purposely eavesdropped."

She explained how she had asked Harry the previous night to tell her what was going on with him. "He'd said he'd been a right arse to me, which he had been since this whole Shadow group came to light, but he apologized. I said it was fine, but I wanted to know why, I wanted him to explain to me why he was so moody about it.

"He didn't tell me, and there he was sitting with her, telling her all about how he's scared I'm going to get hurt by these people. And they target him, and he's a magnet for danger, and he wonders if I'm better off without him because of that. Then she," scoffed Ginny, "had the audacity to say that it would be better if Harry was alone.

"That's when I lost it. I told her she was full of it and stormed out when Harry tried to catch me. He… kept saying he's afraid of the danger I'm in from being with him," she continued. "I told him to wake up, that I've been aware of the danger of being around him from the time I met him. I told him that he was being stupid… and then he said he didn't want me in the way." Fleur huffed defensively but Ginny quieted her down.

"He didn't mean it like that. I think what he meant was that… he didn't want me in the way when they came for him. He didn't want them to go through me to get to him. But still… it hurt. Then I told him he was the only one hurting me, and if he didn't want me to be in pain, I'd stay away from him,"

Fleur sighed. "I'm sure he didn't mean it like zhat either… but, I can understand where you are coming from… believe me." Ginny gave her a curious glance. "Bill and I have had our share of … chats... about dangerous stuff and me being able to defend myself. I told him I made it through the Tri-wizard Tournament and him being attacked by ze werewolf, I can handle it. But he … you get ze picture."

"Must be a male thing," Ginny muttered.

"Or, it's a love zhing. I started to understand it more when I was pregnant. Zhere was nothing Bill could do, it was me going through it; he didn't have the faintest idea of how to empathize. And even now… I feed Victiore, she relies on me. He says at times he feels useless, but he iz not. He also says he realized how brave and strong I am," she said with a grin.

"If I have to have a baby to make Harry realize how strong I am, this might be the end of our relationship," muttered Ginny.

"Don' say zhat. I am sure he feelz bad… and I zhink you just need to explain to him zhat you don't care about the danger. He is what you want, and unless he doesn't want you any more, he'll just have to deal with you being there. I zhink that you will just have to be blunt with Harry, as I had to with Bill, and tell him that he's never going to be able to protect you from everything, so he might as well work with you instead," Fleur said simply.

Ginny considered her; the three years her and Bill have been married had given Ginny a whole different respect for Fleur and her attitude. She had been right on several occasions about things, and she was right about this as well. Harry was what she wanted, and even if he was scared right now about what could happen to her, she wasn't; and she wasn't going to let him push her away because of it.

"Thanks, Fleur," Ginny muttered quietly a few moments later. Just then the fireplace burst into flames and Mrs. Weasley stepped out of it. Her face was serious as she addressed her daughter.

"Ginny, you need to come to the Burrow, now. Fleur, thank you for letting her stay and we'll be in touch. Bill is coming home now, but we have to get back. I'll send you an owl later and explain," her mother said in a rush. Ginny stood and followed curiously, waving goodbye to Fleur and baby Victiore as she spun away in the flames.

When she arrived at the Burrow, it was just in time to say a quick good bye to a very pale Ron and Hermione. They hugged Ginny and said they were glad she was safe, but said good bye and left quickly. Kingsley was there, his face was lined with worry as he talked to her father. Again, no one explained to her what was happening. She gathered she would be spending the night here for some reason, and since it was now ten o'clock, she wandered upstairs to her room and changed into the white night gown that Harry had once commented was beautiful.

She waited for a few moments, hoping her mum would come up and explain things to her. But no one did, so she descended the stairs again. Kingsley was still talking to her father, and her mum sat next to them drinking tea quietly. She cleared her throat loudly, noting how her mother, father, and Kingsley looked up at her cautiously.

"You're still awake?" asked her father quietly.

"Would anyone care to explain to me what happened today? I tried to get a hold of Harry after I realized someone was impersonating me, but he didn't respond when I turned my affinity charm," she said irritably.

"He was probably unable to feel it," Kingsley explained. "There were several attacks in addition to the one you suffered today, Ginny. Travers impersonated Amos Diggory and attempted to get Hermione to leave St. Mungo's with him, but she caught on and refused. There was a small battle for her in the hospital from which she escaped unscathed, but she was already weak from the curse, so she's still got some resting to do. Travers is now in Azkaban again, as is Dolores Umbridge; Sabrina and Proudfoot escorted them there this afternoon after they helped get a few other prisoners taken away. Her accomplice escaped, do you have any idea who it was?"

"No," said Ginny, relaxing her defensive posture. "It looked like a man, but I never saw the face."

Her father sighed heavily, listening as Kingsley continued. "Unfortunately, Harry, Ron and Tim received the worst of it. Tim and Ron were set to meet up with him at the Leaky Cauldron at two o'clock. They went to Diagon Alley intending to interview Borgin at his shop about any activity he's seen. When they got there, they were attacked by Alecto and Amycus Carrow along with Rodolphus Lestrange and Neil Mulciber. They were… pretty roughed up. It sounded like they were trying to kidnap Ron and Harry and take them to this heir they keep talking about."

"When you say roughed up…" said Ginny, pausing and looking at Kingsley to continue; but it was her father who responded.

"Tim was hit by the same curse that caused George to lose an ear," he explained bluntly. "Ron was beaten up pretty badly by Rodolphus Lestrange. But Harry ended up with the worst of it, he received several injuries from fighting Amycus Carrow, and Alecto tortured him for … a long time. He was very weak, but he's all right. He's at home now."

Ginny felt the blood drain from his face. "I have to go see him. That's horrible… did he get any treatment at Mungo's? I have to go, I have to…" she muttered, ignoring their looks of protest. She raced upstairs and grabbed the bag she kept at the Burrow for whenever she stayed there. When she raced back down the steps she ran straight into her father, who had a stern look on his face.

"Ginny this is serious, they were trying to kidnap you all for some reason. Now, Ron and Hermione are with her parents, and you're here, and Harry is safe. You'll be staying here until the Aurors get a few things figured out. Just calm-"

"Well, Ron and Harry are Aurors, so the sooner they figure things out the better and-"

"They're not coming in for a week, we've all gone into hiding," her father said bluntly.

Ginny paused. "Okay… so if Ron and Hermione are together… who is Harry hiding with?"

"No one," Kingsley said.

Ginny turned and looked at Kingsley. "That's absurd. He shouldn't be alone right now, after he's been tortured. And you know he's like this, he thinks that it's all because of him that this is happening."

"It kind of is; a few members of the Shadow that we captured told us that he is the primary target; you three are just part of the plan to get him to crack and give them whatever they're after," Kingsley explained.

Ginny's expression changed from concern to ferocity. "He can't be by himself now, this is just going to feed into this wild insecurity he has that everyone is better off without him, or that he is cursed by bad luck, or whatever the hell he thinks all the time. I'm going to see him, he needs me and-"

"Ginny, you can't," Mr. Weasely said, grasping her arm as she moved to the fireplace. "We're all under the Fidelius Charm. You won't be able to find the house, you can't go there."

Ginny paused and considered this. "But… I've been there before. I'm in on the secret."

"That was when Dumbledore was Secret Keeper. This is a different situation, so it's a new charm, and it's safer for him. He's secret keeper for us, but he's going to stay away because he feels that will keep us better protected," Mr. Weasley replied.

"That's insane," said Ginny bluntly, her voice rising in pitch. "He can't… he can't just be all alone right now. You all know what he's like, he'll-"

"We explained to him that he could come here, but you know he won't. And he chose not to be his own secret keeper so even he can't tell people where he is. He's perfectly safe, and I think he wants to be alone."

"He always wants to be alone! And it's always a bad decision!" Ginny shouted, glaring at her father and not quelling under the furious look he gave her. "Kingsley, come on… you're his boss! You know this is not the time for him to be making these kinds of decisions," said Ginny, trying to appeal to Kingsley's usual sense of rationality rather than her father's tendency to shelter her.

"Ginny… I agree with you, and so do your parents; but this is Harry's choice right now," muttered Kingsley in response.

Ginny huffed, then thought back to what she told him. "…_You're the one that's hurting me, so I'll stay away from you…"_

"He's doing this because we fought today. And I said he hurt me… and that since he's the only one that's hurting me, if he wants to prevent that to stay away from me… that's why he won't come. He thinks I don't want to see him, and I do," she said, now looking at her mother desperately.

"What did you fight about?" her mother asked curiously.

"About this! About the fact that everyone treats me like I'm fragile, or that I'm not brave or-"

"Ginny, this is serious. These people want to kidnap and do something-"

"What's new? What's different about this time than last time, Dad?"

Mr. Weasely sighed, "Ginny… he wants to be alone. Let him clear his head, maybe you were right about staying away from him will prevent you from being hurt … maybe-"

"Oh, come on! I said that because I was angry! I didn't mean it… I was upset that he was sheltering me… but I didn't mean that…" she sighed again. "Kingsley, just tell me the secret, I need to go to him."

"It's not up to me, Ginny," he replied.

Ginny closed her eyes, knowing the answer to the question she was about to ask. "Who is his Secret Keeper?" No one responded.

"Dad…"

"Ginny… give him the night, we'll talk about it in the morning and-"

"NO!" Ginny shouted. Tears sprung to her eyes as she thought about Harry, alone in that empty house, probably still in pain from the torture he received, and thinking that she didn't want to see him. "If he stews on this all night, he's going to be more convinced in the morning, and it's insane! He needs someone… he needs me. Dad… just… please," she begged, hanging her head and laying her hands on his shoulders.

Mr. Weasley paused. "Ginny… I don't think-"

Ginny looked up at him, tears in her eyes and her voice cracking with emotion. "I need him, too! If they are after me, I want to be with him! I… I feel safer there. Please… if you don't tell me I'm going to go to London and run screaming through the street in front of Grimmauld Place until he comes out!"

"Ginny… even if he came out he wouldn't be able to get back inside because he's not the secret keeper and-"

"Arthur," Mrs. Weasley suddenly said, her voice stronger than Ginny expected. "Tell her the secret; let her go."

"Molly, Harry said-"

"To hell with what Harry said. You know this is what he's like; he did it his fifth year when he thought Voldemort was possessing him. He did it when he was on the run… this is what he does. He's got to realize that people care about him too much to just abandon him; and he needs to realize that he needs people around, whether they're in danger or not," Mrs. Weasley explained. She stood and moved around to her husband's side, placing a hand softly on his arm.

"If it were me, I'd feel the same way as Ginny. And you never would want me to go out of my mind like this. Don't do this to her, or him," her mother said quietly. "Tell her the secret."

Ginny glanced at her mother, mouthing thank you quietly, and then stared at her father who was eyeing her sternly.

"You stay there; both of you," He said severely. "Don't go anywhere accept there, or here… do you understand? People will be sending owls, but no one except your mother, Kingsley, and I can come and we aren't planning on visiting. Please, Ginny, promise me…" he said, his voice cracking lightly.

"Daddy… I'll be safe," she whispered.

Mr. Weasley sighed and looked at Kingsley, whom Ginny saw out of the corner of her eye had a small smile on his face and nodded in agreement. "Harry is at number twelve Grimmauld Place, in London…" he father whispered.

Ginny stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you… thank you, Dad," she said, giving him a tight hug. He squeezed her gently and kissed her on top of her head. She hugged her mother, said good bye to Kingsley, and was out the door. She vaguely heard her father yelling at her to come back and change because it was still raining, but she didn't care. As soon as she reached the end of the Burrow's protective boundaries, she turned on the spot and disappeared.

Harry had discarded his tattered and torn clothing for a pair of pajama bottoms. He had examined the deep scratch across his chest and the numerous bruises to his shoulders in the mirror. As he stared at his reflection, fussing with his hair and noting how his muscles had developed, though he was still scrawny. He wondered how Ginny found him attractive.

Every single thought he had turned to her eventually. He became disgusted looking in the mirror and resumed sitting in the chair he had positioned in the hall way. It faced the door. There was a table next to him on which sat the bottle of Firewhiskey and a glass. Harry had found a ball that Teddy played with often when he visited and had taken to throwing it against the door, catching it as it bounced back at him. It seemed to be the only thing that kept his mind off Ginny.

How could he had been so stupid to not just tell her what he was feeling? After the war, he had blurted out that he loved her so unceremoniously; and they had shared so much intimacy and closeness through the last two years. Why hadn't he just been honest?

Harry picked up the bottle of Firewhiskey and drank straight from it, abandoning the use of the tumbler next to him. Harry realized that this continuous feeling that the cause of all the dark activity was his fault was ridiculous. He couldn't tell her because he couldn't admit to himself that he was being paranoid, and ridiculous, and completely irrational about the whole situation. Ginny wasn't afraid. She had more of a backbone than Harry did in some respects.

He growled and threw his head back, covering his face in his hands and rocking back on two legs of his chair. The evening had worn on like a long winter; if he wasn't thinking about how stupid he was, he was thinking about how much he missed the feeling of Ginny in his arms: her skin against his, the feel of her lips and the smell of her hair; the way she sighed his name whenever he touched her, and the manner in which she curled against him as they slept. He wondered if he drank enough Firewhiskey that he could either drown himself out or at least become drunk enough to accurately imagine the feeling of her against him…

The door knob clicked, and then turned slowly. Harry slammed the legs of his chair back down, his thoughts racing. Why would Arthur come back? Did he forget something? Was there another attack? What had happened now?

Or, had he been kidnapped… and this was a greater danger. Harry stood and raised his wand, thinking that if it were the Heir of Voldemort, or any one of her minions, he was ready for a fight; he was ready for it to be done with. The door opened…

A smaller figure in a long, white dressing gown edged its way inside the door. Her long red hair was wet from the rain, and she appeared to be shivering slightly. She locked the door behind her and turned around, starting as she took in Harry's figure standing in the Hallway, wand at the ready and aimed directly at her.

"Harry…" said Ginny quietly. "It's me…"

Harry stood in shock; his eyes wide and his body frozen. _Damn… that stuff is strong_, he thought vaguely. _But this is too real, it's can't be a hallucination_…

"Harry?" asked Ginny, taking a step forward.

His Auror instincts still in high gear, Harry took a step toward her, still brandishing his wand. Ginny flinched slightly, and watched him with scared eyes. Finally, his voice came back.

"Wha… how… I need… tell me-"

Ginny held up her hands in a gesture of surrender. "It's me, Harry… I promise. You gave me an Affinity Charm bracelet for my seventeenth birthday," she said, holding up her wrist and twisting it gently. "At George's wedding to Angelina… you were a groomsman, Ron was best man; he made a joke about finding them shagging at the shop. You… you told me one time that the freckles on my shoulders are your favorite part of me."

She watched his reactions, trying to gauge if she'd told him enough to confirm her identity. He relaxed his posture a little, lowering his wand, but still staring at her with the same shocked expression.

"And we fought… because I was upset that you didn't tell me why you were scared," she said softly, taking a few tentative steps closer to him. "I understand… and I told you that you hurt me, and that I would stay away from you…

"I can't stay away, Harry… I love you. And I don't care that there's danger; I don't care that they're hunting me to get after you… I love you, and I want to be with you, and-"

Her speech was cut off when Harry lowered his wand and stepped toward her, closing the distance between them in two long strides. His lips crashed against hers as he pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet and holding her tightly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and threw herself into the kiss with as much passion as she could muster; she felt her heart flutter in her chest, and heard her voice sigh audibly as he pressed her against the wall. His hands roved over her back, her hips, her stomach; he pulled away slightly and examined her closely, as though checking to make sure he wasn't imaging her. She sighed at his touch as his fingers traced up her arms, running through her hair before his hands cupped her face and he pulled her lips to his again.

"I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry, Ginny," he said between kisses. "I should have told you, I should have talked about it… I knew you didn't care… and I need you; you don't know how much I need you with me… you're safe here, I promise I'll keep you safe," he whispered, pulling her close and pressing his lips against her forehead, her nose, her lips...

"I'm not afraid, Harry," she sighed. "It's all right… I understand… I need to be with you too," she said, her voice cracking slightly.

Harry kissed her fiercely, she gripped his wrists as he cupped her face and laced her fingers through his. He rested his forehead against hers, breathing just as heavily as she was. Her eyes fell to the numerous bruises that covered his shoulders and neck, and to the long cut that ran from his shoulder to his chest. "Oh, God…" she whispered, tracing her fingers over the cut. "Oh, Harry… I'm so sorry; are you all right?"

Harry looked at her and nodded, closing his eyes as the sensation of her fingers trailing over his skin caused shivers to race down his spine. His senses were suddenly on high alert again, but for a completely different reason. He took her hands and wrapped them around his neck before pressing his lips to hers softly. He felt her stand on her tip toes, and as she leaned forward he lifted her high off her feet. She wrapped one of her legs around his hip and he slid his arms under her legs, cradling her against him but never taking his lips off hers. He carried her upstairs to his bedroom; once inside, he set her on her feet and shut the door behind him, waving his wand to lock that door and cast a separate protective spell around the room. He knew it was unnecessary as the Fidelius Charm would provide them more than enough protection, but he wanted to be with her and her alone… this would ensure that could happen.

Ginny dropped her bag to the floor as Harry walked toward her again. His arms snaked around her waist and he walked her back toward his bed. He could feel the pace of her breathing increase dramatically, and paused for a second, looking into her eyes and reading only permission in them. His eyes were drawn to the nightgown that he had seen her in so long ago; it was incredibly seductive without intending to be. He traced the scooped neckline, pausing when his index finger touched the buttons. He unfastened them slowly; his eyes roving from his work and up to her face. She had closed her eyes, and was breathing slowly and deeply. When the buttons were undone, he slid the gown from her shoulders and sighed.

In all their intimate times they had shared, he'd only seen her either without a shirt, or without pants; but never at the same time. She moved to cover herself, but he took her hands in his, still admiring the curves of her shoulders sloping into her ribcage, the sight of her bare breasts, and the indent of her waistline. He moved his hands to trace the line of her blue cotton knickers softly, noting how she gasped when he touched her.

Ginny had her eyes squeezed shut; anticipation was running through her body, and her mind was racing with the thoughts of what was happening. She felt Harry's fingers trace the top of her knickers, but his hands found hers and he pulled her close; she was shocked at how warm his skin was against her own, and he seemed to relish the sensation as he let out a low groan as he brought his lips to her neck. Harry took her hands and placed them at the top of his pajama bottoms, pausing there and waiting until she opened her eyes.

Ginny almost stopped breathing; he was gazing at her with such intensity that she felt herself blush. She began to tug at the material of his pants, sliding them down but keeping her eyes connected to his.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she whispered as she felt his pajama bottoms fall to the floor.

He stepped out of them, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her against him. She could tell that he was completely naked, and though she longed to look down to examine him the way he had her, the intensity of his eyes kept her attention on his face.

"I'm still in shock… I wanted you… the minute I realized I was going to be alone, all I wanted was you… and here you are. It's.. I can't even find the words to explain it…" he said, his voice dropping as his eyes lowered and scanned over her figure. She closed her eyes again when he pressed himself against her, sighing aloud as his lips met hers and his tongue caressed her own. He lifted her off her feet again and set her on the bed, his fingers snaking their way around the fabric of her knickers and tugging them down her legs in such a swift motion that Ginny gasped.

"Slick," she laughed lightly.

Harry smiled and watched her slide back toward the pillows; he crawled onto the bed and settled himself by her legs. His fingers began to travel lightly up her calf, over her knee, and finally down the inside of her thighs. She felt extremely self conscious, but couldn't help the way her feet spread wider at his touch. And when lowered his lips to the soft skin of her inner thigh, she gasped loudly at the sensation.

Ginny's skin was soft against Harry's hands, and he rested his forehead against her hip as he traced the fascinating and intricately designed folds of skin that he had longed to visualize. Ginny's fingers kneaded the covers nervously; Harry took one of her hands in his, and after locating her clitoris with his fingers, he moved his lips to that spot and let his tongue trace circles around the small nodule he found.

Ginny cried out, much more loudly than she had intended. She clasped one hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the sound, but Harry reached up and laced his fingers through hers, pulling it away from her face. His hands held hers tightly, and as his tongue stroked at her clitoris her mind became clouded and dizzy. The sensation caused chills to rush through her body, though she felt heat rising in her core; it was as though he was breathing life into her through is kisses and maneuvers with his tongue.

Her cries were driving him mad; he'd never heard her make such sounds and they shot through is body like an electric current, hardening his already stiff erection. He didn't want to stop, but he also longed to be closer to her; to see her face in so much ecstasy, and to be able to whisper into her ears how much he loved her.

The decision of what to do next was made when Ginny tugged on his hands and pulled him up closer to her. He trailed kisses up her stomach and over her breasts before bringing his lips back to hers and settling himself between his legs. Her face was flushed, her lips bright red with the blood that was rushing through her system. Harry had never seen anything so amazing in all his life, and knowing that he was the reason for it caused him so much arousal he thought he would burst.

"Harry…" she gasped, pressing her hand against his cheek. He leaned his forehead against hers and slid his hips closer to hers. He felt one of her legs wrap around his hip and pull him close; he gasped when she rocked her hips against him and whimpered quietly when he responded by pressing the tip of his erection to her clitoris.

"I have… no idea what I'm doing," he whispered.

"Neither do I," she said, her eyes still closed. Ginny rocked her hips against his again and he felt the length of his penis slide through the folds of her skin; she gasped loudly. "But I don't care," she sighed.

"Neither do I," he whispered, moving closer to her. "I love you… and I want you so badly."

Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close to him as his other hand slid to the outside of her thigh. She curled her leg up and wrapped it around his hip at the same time he thrust against her; their bodies connected and became one.

Harry groaned loudly at the sensation, opening his eyes and resting his forehead against Ginny's. She was so close, almost wrapped completely around him as he held her, that he noticed her flinch slightly as he entered her. He paused and watched her, surprised at the ease in which he held still even though his instincts were telling him to do other things. He kissed her softly, keeping her hips close to his and watching her reactions. After a few moments, she relaxed and returned his kisses; he continued to hold still, again waiting to read permission in her eyes.

"I'm all right, Harry," she whispered quietly. He pulled her closer, feeling himself slide deeper within her when he did so. He held still again, nuzzling at her neck and kissing her lips. She finally opened her eyes and looked at him; they were so bright and glowed with such warmth that he laughed gently. "Amused?" she asked in a breathless whisper.

"Everyone tells me I'm the one with the startling eyes," he whispered, examining her expression with a smile. She grinned back, and pulled his lips back to hers. He started to move again, and she rocked her hips in rhythm with his thrusts. The feeling she had felt when he first entered her had now subsided and it was replaced with the most amazing sensation she had experienced. He felt full inside her, and the warmth and heat it caused made her call out his name quietly. She laid her head back against the pillow, pulling him directly on top of her and wrapping her legs around his waist.

Harry supported himself on one elbow, the other hand was holding Ginny's hips steady as he moved against her. She sighed his name again and again, and each time the sound caused the pleasure he was feeling to intensify dramatically. Ginny arched her back and drew her nails down his chest, and Harry watched in fascination as her hair spread out against his pillow. He drew his knees up slightly, gripping her hips and pulling them more snugly against his own. The heat where their skin connected felt like open flame, but it didn't cause him to pull away; on the contrary, he pushed deeper into her and cried out himself as jolts of pleasure raced through his body.

He was too far away; having him buried inside her so deep was amazing, but she wanted him near her. She wanted her lips on his, his arms wrapped around her. She took hold of one of his hands and pulled herself up into a seated position on his lap. Harry wrapped his arms wrapped around her waist, his hands moving to grasp her backside and push her against him. Their lips met again, and she tried as best as she could to continue the pace he had taken; but the surge of pleasure inside her was almost too intense.

Harry watched Ginny's face closely, the feeling of her straddling him as he kneeled on the bed was indescribable; her voice calling out his name softly was the only sound he ever wanted to hear. He pressed his lips to her neck, and against her collar bones; she arched her back and he brought his hands under her shoulders to support her as she leaned back. She tangled her hands in her own hair as he took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked on it gently. Her cries became louder, and Harry felt small tremblings from within her. He laid her back down against the pillow and resumed the first position they had taken; his arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other hand on her thigh, her legs around his hips and her hands tangled in his hair. Harry kissed her passionately and thrust against her with increasing force.

The small tremors Ginny had been feeling increased; it felt like a peak was rising inside her, higher and higher, until her whole core shook with intense spasms of pleasure. Her lips pulled away from his and she called out his name, feeling slightly embarrassed by the sounds that were ripped from her throat, but she couldn't stop them. The rhythm of Harry's thrusting against her didn't decrease the entire time her orgasm raged on; the whole time she could feel Harry's eyes upon her. The voice crying out didn't sound like her own, and when she finally felt the contractions subsiding, she lifted her head and looked into Harry' eyes before pulling his lips back to hers fiercely and wrapping her legs tighter around his hips.

Harry had managed to hold back his own surge of pleasure as Ginny had her own, but as she kissed him with so much passion, he found it much more difficult. He sensed that she didn't want him to hold back; she wanted him to experience the same sensations she had felt during their coupling. Her legs squeezed his hips tightly, pressing him further inside her; the way her muscles were still contracting rhythmically all around him caused him to move quicker against her. He came undone finally when she broke the kiss and sighed his name again; the contractions she had experienced seemed to move into his body and he growled her name as his orgasm washed over him completely. It seemed to go on forever, and the whole time she never released her grip on him, nor took her eyes away from his face.

When it subsided, Harry's head fell against Ginny's shoulder before he slid down to lay his cheek against her chest. Her fingers traced through his hair as their breathing slowed; neither one wanted to move from the spot. Harry found himself absentmindedly tracing the curve of her waist and the contour of her breasts, watching with heavy lidded eyes as goose bumps arose over her skin.

"Can I ask you something?" Ginny whispered. Harry leaned up and locked eyes with her, nodding and watching her expression. "Was that honestly the first time for you?"

"Of course it was," Harry said laughing lightly. "When else would I have ever… and with who? You're the only one I've ever wanted in this way," he explained, cuddling her naked figure close to him as he rolled onto his side. He brushed her hair out of her face and ran this thumb over her cheek bone.

Ginny brought her hand up to his and interlaced their fingers, examining them closely. "So… is it just a fact that you are always going to be great at everything the first time?" she asked matter-of-factly.

Harry chuckled. "I'm not great at everything the first time… I still can't communicate well."

"What were you trying to communicate just now?" Ginny asked, before kissing Harry's fingers individually.

"That I love you, and I need you… and I want you… you're incredibly sexy and brilliant," he explained, watching her. When she turned her eyes back to his again he pulled her close and kissed her softly. "But mostly that I love you."

Ginny sighed and ran twisted her fingers into Harry's dark hair. He held her so closely she felt like he was trying to pull her inside of him. "I think I got the message," she whispered as he moved his lips to her neck.

Harry smiled and kissed his way over her collar bones before rolling onto his back slightly and hugging Ginny close. She lay her head against his chest and he began to run his fingers through her hair; feeling slightly drowsy as she pressed kisses against his skin.

"I think I forgot to mention something," she whispered quietly.

"What's that?"

"I love you, too," she replied. Harry laughed and tipped his head down to press his lips to hers several times before laying it back against his pillow. Ginny sat up briefly to grab the duvet from under their bodies and pulled it over them before snuggling down in his arms. Harry resumed his stroking of her hair, and it wasn't five minutes later that they both fell asleep.


	35. No One Else In The World

No one else in the world

"Crack The Shutters" Snow Patrol

* * *

The room was still dark when Harry awoke. Ginny's sleeping figure was curled up next to him, his head resting against her shoulder and his arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He sighed and stretched, watching as she stirred and rolled partly onto her stomach. Her arms were curled up underneath her, and her face was peaceful. The contrast of her auburn hair against her creamy skin fascinated him; it was something he could see even though his glasses were still on the bedside table. Harry ran his fingers through her hair and kissed her shoulder lightly.

She had come to him; he had been silently and internally begging to see her, and here she was, like some angel that had been sent to ease his pain. He reached beside him and put on his glasses before turning back to stare at her as she slept.

How had she come to him? There was only one possible way; Arthur had told her how to find him. Had she begged? Or become angry and threatened to run up and down the street until he came out to her? Harry smirked as he thought of Ginny engaging her father in an argument over his whereabouts.

He suddenly wondered if they were concerned about her well-being at the moment. If it was him, he would have stayed awake all night wondering if she had made it safely. He slipped out of bed quietly and pulled on his discarded pajama bottoms. Harry smiled gently at her still sleeping figure before creeping down the stairs and into the sitting room.

He tossed the green powder into the fireplace, muttering "The Burrow," before peering inside. He vaguely wondered what time it was; perhaps no one would be up at this hour. If that was the case, he'd leave them a note letting them know she was now with him, safe, asleep in his bed… or maybe he should leave out that part.

"Hello?" he said quietly when the spinning stopped.

"Harry?" Molly's voice called quietly. Her face appeared and looked at him curiously. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes… everything is fine. I … I just thought I'd let you know that Ginny made it safely. She's asleep," he replied sheepishly.

"Oh, good. We assumed she had, but it's nice of you to let us know for sure," Molly said lightly. "She was a bit upset when Arthur was telling her you wanted to be alone."

Harry nodded, feeling color flood into his face. "I expect she said something about it being rubbish that I would think that this is all my fault," he said quietly.

"Yes, it was something along those lines. She's right, you know."

"I know."

Molly shook her head. "Silly boy, go back to sleep; it's only seven o'clock. If either of you need anything you know how to reach us," she said with a smirk.

"Right… the same to you," Harry said. "Molly?"

"Yes, Harry dear?"

"Thank you… and tell Arthur thank you for-"

"You're welcome, Harry," she said with a gentle smile. "Now, go back to sleep. I expect Ginny might be cold without you," she muttered in a conspiratorial voice as she moved away from the fireplace. Harry laughed and moved away as well, watching the green flames die away.

He walked into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses of juice and some toast before ascending back to his room. When Harry stepped inside, he set the tray down on the dresser and stood staring at his bed.

Ginny had awoken and opened one of the curtains that hung over the window; warm sunlight was peeking in and illuminating the bed and where she sat. He smiled as he watched her examine the shadows her feet made when she moved them. She ran her fingers through her hair and stood up to open the other window and let more light in. Harry's breath hitched in his throat as he watched her, the sunlight clung to her naked skin the same way his hands had only hours earlier.

"Oh! You scared me," said Ginny when she turned around and saw him standing in the doorway. "I was wondering where you'd gone off to." She grinned as she sat down on the bed and pulled the sheet up to cover herself.

Harry walked over to the bed and snatched it out of her hand playfully. "What're you doing?" he asked, tugging on the sheet as she held on to it. "I was-"

"-Staring at me and making me blush," Ginny said with a giggle before tugging the sheet out of his hands and wrapping it around herself. "You've got a cover on," she said pointing at his pajama bottoms.

"All right, then," he said before lowering them to the ground and crawling onto the bed next to her. "Now, can I have this so I can resume my gazing?" he asked, tugging on the sheet again.

Ginny blushed a brilliant red and held tightly to the white cover. "What's there to gaze at that you haven't seen already?"

"Everything… it was dark in here last night," he said with a smirk. Harry moved closer to her and tugged harder on the sheet. Ginny laughed lightly and held tighter until it was wrestled from her grip and Harry tore it off of her. Before he had even a chance to examine her face, she had grabbed his wand from the bedside table and flicked it, making the curtains close tightly.

"Hey!" Harry yelled in protest, laughing in spite of himself before grabbing his wand out of her hand in a swift motion. "None of that," he said before tossing it across the room.

"Seriously," said Ginny, laughing at his expression of mock anger, "what is there to look at?"

"You," Harry said simply. He stood and opened the curtains to both windows. Sunlight flooded the room, and Ginny raised her hand to shield her eyes from it. She heard Harry mutter something very quietly, but before she could gather her bearings, he had wrapped his arms around her and laid her back against the pillows, kissing her softly as he rested his naked body against hers.

Ginny sighed as Harry squeezed her tightly, his lips parting hers softly as he deepened the intensity of the kiss; his fingers traced their way through her hair, and his hands cupped her face. She felt her shyness melting away as he moved his lips to her neck, nipping at her shoulders and ears and causing her to laugh lightly.

"Can I look now?"

"No," Ginny said, fighting to keep a smile off her face as Harry nestled his face against her neck and nipped her gently.

"Why not?"

"I'm shy!"

"No you're not."

"Yes, I am. Remember when I used to not be able to talk while you were in the room?" She said, giggling as he began to trace the sides of her waist with his fingers. The sensation was arousing, but it also tickled in the worst way.

Harry leaned up and looked at her quizzically. "I think after last night that's out the window now, don't you agree?"

"Well, now I just have a new reason to be shy," she said, staring into his emerald eyes and trying not to lose her train of thought.

"What's the reason? You don't want me to admire your amazing, immaculate, incredible body? Or you don't want me to remember you calling out my name over and over?"

Ginny sat up quickly, her eyes and face blazing. "You arrogant prat!" she said, trying her best not to laugh. "It's no different than you –"

Her argument was silenced by Harry kissing her fiercely; she could feel his lips quivering against hers as he tried to refrain from laughing. "Ginny, I love you," he whispered with a chuckle. She glared at him mischievously before smiling as Harry pressed his lips to hers again, a different kind of intensity sneaking into the kiss.

She sighed against his lips, and before she knew it he had lifted her aside so he could lean back against the headboard. Not wanting to break the kiss, she was forced to straddle his waist and seat herself atop him. As she settled herself against his hips, she felt a wave of arousal run through her as his hardening erection rubbed against her clitoris.

Harry inhaled sharply and gently pushed her back so she was sitting up straight. He began examining the way the sunlight illuminated the highlights in her hair and the color of her skin. He couldn't keep the grin off his face as he traced his hands over her shoulders, down her ribs and over her stomach. He rested his hands against the outside of her hips and sighed deeply.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"For what?"

"I just wanted to look," he said. She blushed brightly and turned her eyes away. He took her face in his hands and turned her eyes back to his before tracing his fingers over the curve of her breasts, and over the indent of her waistline that rounded into her hips. He ran his hands over the outside of her thighs and over her backside; then he traced imaginary lines on her stomach and over her shoulders. Harry trailed his fingers down her arms before intertwining them with hers; he pulled her close and kissed her softly, enjoying the way she sighed when he parted her lips with his.

"You know what's funny?" he said quietly.

"What's funny?" she said with a smile.

"The sunlight likes you too," he said, observing the way it had slowly crept over her figure, enlightening the semi-darkness so he could see her clearly.

Ginny laughed and looked at the golden light around her, nodding in agreement. She turned her eyes back to Harry's face to see him watching her with avid curiosity. "What's so fascinating?"

"You are," he said. Ginny blushed again; the innocent expression on her face caused a jolt of arousal to rush thorough his system. Harry placed his hands against her hips and pushed her backwards, groaning lightly at the sensation of her grinding against the stiffness that had been present since he walked back into the room.

Ginny lifted her hips up only an inch as Harry pushed against her, but it was enough give him the freedom of movement he needed. As she lowered herself back down, he tilted his hips and groaned as he entered her slowly.

Ginny closed her eyes and allowed the sensation to run through her. She let her head fall back and pressed her palms against Harry's chest. Harry began to push her hips in a rocking motion, moving against her at a painstakingly slow pace, causing her to shudder each time he thrust against her. She gently began to rock her hips in response, and he encouraged her by gripping her hips tighter and letting her control the pace.

Harry watched with intense fascination as Ginny rocked herself against his thrusts. Keeping his glasses on enabled him to see everything he had longed to: the way her skin became flushed and pink as she became more and more aroused; how her auburn hair swayed gently each time she rocked her hips against him; the way she bit her lip to try and keep herself from crying out; everything she did was arousing and enthralling. Harry could have stared at her all day, he could have watched the way her breasts moved and the way her eyes squeezed tightly shut as the pace of his thrusts increased, but he longed to be close to her.

He sat up and pulled her flush against him, pressing his lips to her neck as she tangled her fingers in his hair. She cried out softly and arched against him, allowing him to take one of her nipples into his mouth and graze it with his teeth.

Ginny grasped onto Harry's shoulders as he lifted her up with one arm and flipped her onto her back. Her legs wrapped around his waist and her eyes shot open when his hands gripped her hips tightly as he thrust himself against her with increasing force.

"Did you… get tired of looking?" she asked breathlessly.

Harry growled against her skin. He lifted his head and looked into her eyes, "No… I could look all day. But I want you close," he whispered before kissing her softly.

Something in the way he said the words caused Ginny's arousal to burst into over drive. She whimpered into his mouth, the feel of his tongue caressing hers only added to the sensations that were overwhelming her. She arched her back and responded to his thrusts with her own; her efforts rewarded when he groaned her name and pressed his lips to her neck.

As his movements became more erratic and forceful, Ginny began to cry out much louder than she had the previous night. Her cries seemed to stimulate him, and though she felt embarrassed, she found that it no longer mattered; her awkwardness seemed to disappear as another peak of ecstasy rose inside her.

She bit her lip and arched her back, surprising herself when she reached her hands around to grab tightly onto Harry's hips and pull him closer to her. He supported himself with one hand, and held onto the outside of her thigh with the other, seemingly steadying her hips while he continued to move. How long had she imagined this? How long had she fantasized about him wanting her this way? Still, the reality of it was much more amazing then her mind could have ever imagined. She heard her own voice calling out Harry's name; it sounded as though it was miles away. When her body began to rhythmically contract all around him, she felt him slow his pace only slightly, as if he wanted to absorb the feeling of her orgasm just as much as experience his own.

Harry watched in fascination as Ginny's face flushed scarlet, her eyes closed tightly and her lips parted provocatively as she cried out again. He felt his arousal surge through him as his orgasm began to build, and he didn't even to try to hold off this time. The inarticulate moans of pleasure that were leaving her pink lips stimulated him to increase the pace of his thrusts, and his body responded by convulsing as the surge of pleasure raced through him. At the same time, he felt the rhythmic contractions he had begun to long for squeeze in all around him. He kept his eyes open, watching Ginny arch her back and grasp onto his hips tightly as she came.

As the contractions from his own orgasm ceased, he collapsed against her, exhausted and hungry, but not wanting to move away from her. The smell of her hair as it caressed his face was soothing, and her legs still wrapped around his waist only added to the pleasure and peace he felt from being against her. He lay panting lightly on top of her, enjoying the feel of her thin fingers tracing their way through his hair. It was a few moments before he spoke.

"I … I brought toast up," he muttered. His voice was hoarse and deep; it tickled her ear and Ginny laughed lightly.

"It's probably cold," she said quietly.

"Yeah…"

"It's the thought that counts," she said lightly. She kissed his forehead and sighed deeply, relaxing back against the pillows and holding him closely to her.

"Right… I think I might still eat it though," he muttered before pressing his lips against her neck.

"You need more sustenance than that," she said lightly before sliding herself out from underneath him. "Come on, I'll make you something to eat."

Ginny had only gotten to the edge of the bed when Harry's arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close, his lips pressing to her neck and causing her to laugh lightly.

"Shower," he muttered, as he picked her up and carried her into the bathroom, her laughter echoing throughout the sunlit room around them.

An hour later, they had showered and were now eating eggs, kippers, and toast in the dining room. Ginny had only one change of clothes and her night dress with her, so Harry had loaned her one of his larger shirts to clothe herself in. They both sat at the table, finishing their breakfast and talking quietly.

"Dad wasn't going to let me come, but I threatened to run up and down the street screaming until you came out," she told him when he asked how she convinced them to let her come to him.

"I guessed something along those lines," he chuckled lightly. "Did they tell you that even if I would have come out to meet you we wouldn't have been able to get back in?"

"Dad started to say that, but that's when mum jumped in and told him to give me the secret. And he did; and here I am," she said gesturing to herself as she slid closer to Harry.

"And I'm glad," he whispered, pulling her close and kissing her lightly.

"Really? I couldn't tell," she teased.

Harry grinned and buried his face in her neck, kissing and nipping at her skin and causing her to laugh lightly.

"You are a cheeky little git though," she said when he pulled away.

"Why would you say such a thing?" Harry asked, his face falling into a mock frown.

"Oh, because of your earlier comment: 'You don't want me to remember you calling out my name over and over,'" she said in a quick imitation of his voice.

Harry laughed. "Well, I wasn't sure why you were suddenly so shy. You don't have any reason to be," he said, tracing his fingers over the outside edge of her thighs.

"I was naked in the bright sunlight; isn't that a good enough reason?"

"No," Harry said simply.

"Well, what would be a good enough reason for my shyness?" asked Ginny.

"For shyness… no, you have no excuse to be shy," he said shaking his head.

"You are a prat sometimes, you know that, right?"

Harry grinned and pulled her close, pressing his lips to her collar bones, her neck, and finally her lips. "But I love you," he said quietly.

"Hmm," she muttered, running her hands through his hair. "That you do," she replied. Harry smirked and kept his lips on hers for a few seconds. "And I love you. You know I always have," she said lightly, smiling as he grinned before leaning away from her.

She sighed heavily and examined the shirt he had loaned her. "I'll probably need to go get clothes eventually."

"Not really," Harry muttered.

"I can't just wear your clothes, they're too big," she protested, tugging at the shirt she was wearing.

Harry observed her and made a face. "You're right… that is a problem. I think I might have the solution though," he said lightly. He stood up and reached for the buttons on the shirt, but Ginny took a step away from him.

"Oh, that's your solution then, is it?" she said with a grin, avoiding his grasp by side stepping around him and behind the table. "I'll just go starkers for a week?"

"Well, our safety does depend on us staying hidden. It may be the only way to be sure that we stay safe," Harry said with a grin. He reached for her again but she dodged him and raced into the sitting room. He followed her quickly, but she was not in sight when he arrived. He glanced curiously around, wondering where she could have possibly escaped to when he felt her small hands grasp the top of the shorts he was wearing and tug them down around his feet.

"Hey!" he shouted, wheeling around to try and catch her, but she had taken off again in the opposite direction, laughing brightly. He pulled his shorts back up around his hips and took off after her.

They chased each other through the house for the next fifteen minutes, both of them laughing and narrowly escaping the other one several times. Harry's heart was lighter than it had been in over two months; he felt free, at peace, and completely content to stay locked away with her for the next week, or two, or three if the office never came up with a plan…

"Gotcha!" he whispered as he caught Ginny around the waist. He had snuck up behind her in the sitting room and completely caught her off guard.

Ginny shrieked but laughed as Harry began to fuss with the buttons on the shirt she was wearing, swiftly undoing them and pulling the sleeves down over her shoulders. He set her atop a low dresser and kissed her passionately, assisting her when her she began to use her feet to lower his shorts to his ankles. She gripped the sides of the dresser for support as he pulled her hips to the very edge and thrust himself inside her.

"Do you think… this will ever get old?" Harry asked, groaning as her legs wrapped around his hips and she arched her back, allowing him to kiss along her collar bones and over her breasts as he held her to him and began to move at an increasingly quicker pace.

"I hope not," she said breathlessly, wrapping one arm around his neck and pulling him close.

They fell asleep early that evening, both of them exhausted from their repeated love making. Harry had wondered if he was being overzealous with her, but she had laughed when he asked her if this was all too much.

"Harry, that's a silly question. You should know by now that if I don't want to do something I won't do it," she said as she kissed him softly.

"I know… I just wanted to make sure," he said, nestling into her neck again.

"I love you," she replied.

"I love you, too," he said, looking her up and down again.

"Besides, it's not like I'm completely innocent in these encounters either," she had said before pulling him close to her and hitching one of her legs around his hip.

Harry smiled to himself; she was asleep next to him now, her breathing slow and peaceful in the dark. He couldn't imagine being without her ever again; it was insanity for him to think that he could survive even a day without knowing she was his.

Though the past day and night had been filled with unbridled passion and expressions of love, his thoughts turned back to the crisis at hand. The Dark Shadow arranging attacks on Ron, Hermione, Ginny, himself, everyone who had established the council and the major players who participated in the final battle.

This was a broad scope, and Voldemort's scope was never this broad. As Harry thought about it, it seemed as though there would need to be at least two people majorly involved in the planning. But who? Harry ran through the Death Eaters in his head, trying to identify any females he had forgotten. He dug out his files from the office and began to look through them, searching for any clues to the identity.

A few hours had passed when a small, soft hand trailed up his back and over his shoulder. Harry looked over his shoulder to see Ginny leaning on one elbow watching him curiously. "Sorry, did I wake you?" he asked, looking at his lit wand and the papers he had spread out over his half of the bed.

"No… what are you looking at?" she asked.

"Women Death Eaters; there weren't many," he said. "It's frustrating… all these things, from the very first incident of the break in to our office, to this last go round, have to be connected somehow. And I can't figure it out. It's in my head somewhere, I know it is, but I just can't find it," he said.

Ginny kissed his shoulder softly. "You aren't going to find it right now," she whispered. "Come back to sleep, this will be here in the morning" she said, tugging on him and pulling him into her arms.

Harry nodded and wrapped his arms around her waist, sighing when she snuggled against his chest. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to wake you. I was just… I was thinking how wonderful this is, to be with just you, and it's all I want now; it's all I'll ever want," he whispered against her forehead.

Ginny smiled and closed her eyes, pressing her lips to his chest. "I'm here, Harry. I've always been here," she whispered. He squeezed her against him and sighed deeply, it wasn't long after her final words that he fell asleep.

When Ginny awoke in the morning, Harry was still asleep beside her. She examined his features and smiled to herself, thinking of his words last night and how she felt exactly the same way.

But she knew he wouldn't be able to commit to anything as long as this Shadow hung over them. This was why he had gotten up and begun to examine his files, which were still strewn out along his side of the mattress.

She crawled over top of him and began to look through the papers, reading through the familiar names of Death Eaters and trying to pick out something new.

After going through a few files of seemingly useless information, she stumbled across a prisoner log from Azkaban; it was dated November first of nineteen ninety-nine and listed all the visitors that came to and from the island for the next nine months. Ginny noticed a few things that caused her some concern. Primarily, the repetitive initials of someone from Konispol, Albania: SVL. Again and again, the same initials; it was about once a month that this person visited the prison.

"Something interesting?" Harry's voice mused from his spot on the pillow.

"Yeah, the Azkaban visitation log," she said handing him the paper. "See those initials there? Again and again this person is visiting. Why?"

Harry looked over the form curiously. He saw exactly what Ginny had, the same initials again and again, at approximately the same interval each month. "There's another one here too; MEP. I might send Deacon in and ask Proudfoot for a list of who is allowed in and out of Azkaban; it's very restricted."

Ginny nodded. "You know, you were saying last night that you think all these events are connected? And you think the information is in your head, you just can't find it?"

"Yeah… I know it's there, but I just can't put it all together. Maybe age is addling my brain," he said with a chuckle.

"No… I don't think that's it. It'd be nice if you had access to a Pensieve, though," she mused.

"A what?"

"A pensieve… isn't that what you used to view all of those memories Dumbledore head about Vold-"

"Ginny!" Harry said jumping up from bed and gripping her hands. "You're _brilliant_! I can't… you're brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! A pensieve! I can go back and view some of those memories, and some of my own to see if I can connect the pieces! And I can show the team what Voldemort looked like before he got all – Merlin's Pants! You're amazing you are!" he shouted. He picked her up and kissed her fiercely.

"All right, all right!" she laughed. "But what… what do we do?"

"Let's get dressed; we can go, we can figure this out and-"

"Hang on, hang on. Let's… let's send a note to Kingsley first, all right?" she said cautiously, watching his reaction.

"Why? We can just go to his office."

"Well… I don't know. I just… I think we should check with him or someone before we leave. Can you send him a message and let him know what you've found out?"

"Sure… yeah. Are you all right? It'll be okay," he said, walking over to where she was standing and pulling her close. "We can figure this out, and then it'll be over."

"I know… I just; I have a bad feeling about just waltzing into the office when we're supposed to be hiding. Just… sending a note would make me feel better."

"All right," he said. "I'll put a charm on it so only Kingsley's wand can open it," he explained as he grabbed a piece of parchment and began to scribble furiously. "And I'll send it through the Floo network rather than Deacon; the house is only connected with Kingsley's office and the Burrow so it'll be less likely intercepted that way," he explained.

Ginny nodded and sat back down on the bed while Harry finished his note. "Brilliant," he said, kissing her lightly before walking down the stairs. She followed and watched him send the letter through the fireplace.

"All right, now we wait," he said lightly. "Ginny, are you sure you're okay? You look very nervous," he said.

"I'm fine, I just… I don't know. That struck me as odd, almost like it was too visible, you know? Like we were meant to find it?"

Harry considered this. "Yeah… but, I only got those records because I took them when I was trying to figure out who killed Kreacher. If we were meant to find it, wouldn't someone have given it to us?"

"Yeah… yeah, maybe you're right," she said nodding her head slowly.

Just then the fireplace burst to life and a note flew onto the floor in front of Harry. In Kingsley's distinct handwriting was written "_Give me about ten minutes, then come in through the Floo Network_."

"All right, he wants us to come in," Harry said. "Are you sure you're okay with this? I'll stay with you if you don't want to go."

"No, I'm coming with you; I said I wasn't scared and I meant it. Besides… now I understand why you were so desperate to get this to end," she said.

"You do?"

"Yeah…" she said quietly, walking closer to him. "Because … being alone with you, like we have been, like there is no one else in the world but us, is all I want too."

Harry sighed and pulled her into his arms before kissing her softly and running his fingers through her hair. "Then that's what we'll get," he whispered.


	36. The Truth

Chapter 35

The Truth

* * *

It was fifteen minutes later that Harry and Ginny traveled through the Floo Network to Kingsley's office, carrying the records they had been researching. Once they arrived, Kingsley locked the door and began to look through the documents for clues to the identity of Voldemort's heir.

"See the intervals," explained Harry, indicating the initials that Ginny had discovered, "this one visits on the third and fourteenth of every month, and the other on the eighth and twenty-third."

"Proudfoot and Sabrina must know who they are; they're in control of the recordkeeping out there. I know Proudfoot is out there now, and Sabrina is with Tim going trying to plan a course of action. Have you spoken to Ron?" Kingsley asked.

"No, I haven't. I hadn't spoken to anyone until we contacted you," said Harry.

"I'm going to send him a message; if I end up sending you out to investigate this, I don't want you going alone. I'll call Tim back as well, and Lansing can go too. I'm glad you noticed this, because Umbridge was close to that heir, and this span covers the time when she was in prison," Kingsley said.

"'Was' close?" asked Ginny quietly.

"There was a Dementor attack on Azakban the night you all went into hiding; Rowle, Umbridge, Travers, the Carrows… they're all… well, they're not dead per say but… you get the idea," Kingsley said darkly.

"No," Harry said in shock. "That's half the group right there; this should make whoever this is easier to catch, right? That doesn't make any sense though; why kill off all your supporters?"

"Well, apparently failing isn't tolerated well by this Heir. It wasn't by Voldemort either, but I think he had much more control of the group than this person does," Kingsley explained. "That's one of the reasons we've had trouble forming a plan. The trail has gone cold; we don't even know where to begin now that we don't have any people to interrogate," said Kingsley.

"Speaking of knowing where to begin, someone around here has to have access to a pensieve," Harry said.

"Um… yes, there is one down in the Department of Mysteries, and I even think the Law Office has one," Kingsley replied thoughtfully. "Why?"

"I want to go over the memories Dumbledore and I examined and just recheck my facts. The fact that this person who keeps visiting is from Albania has me curious as well, because that's where Voldemort spent so many years in hiding," Harry explained.

"That's an idea," Kingsley said in approving tone of voice.

"It was Ginny's" said Harry proudly.

"I … well, I … I just said what you were thinking," sputtered Ginny, blushing as Harry squeezed her hand.

"Do you two want to go down together? Or do you want to be taken to where Ron and Hermione are, Ginny?"

Ginny looked at Harry, she didn't want to leave him, but she also didn't want to be a distraction to him while looking through the old memories. Plus, she felt that some things that he and Dumbledore discussed were exceptionally private, and she wasn't sure which memories he would be visiting. She remembered him telling her briefly about the night Dumbledore died, and refusing to talk about the cave they visited; she had no desire to see this particular memory as it seemed to bother Harry so much he didn't talk about it.

"I'll… I'll just wait for Ron and Hermione. If you find anything out I'm guessing he'll come in, right?" She asked.

"Ginny, you can stay with me. I don't mind-"

"No, Harry," said Ginny, squeezing his hand. "You'll focus better this way. I can stay here until Ron and Hermione get here and then I'll just go back to Sommerset with Hermione until you're done."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. It'd be different if you were leaving, but if you're just going down to another department I'm not worried," she said with a smile.

Kingsley nodded. "I'll send for Ron and Hermione now; Harry, if you want to go down to the Department of Mysteries, you'll want to talk to Max Memorian, he'll be able to get you to a pensieve. We'll be up here. Wear your cloak while you're walking down there," he advised.

Kingsley pointedly walked toward the fireplace to summon Ron and Hermione, allowing Harry to pull Ginny into his arms, kiss her gently and squeeze her once before he pulled out his cloak and headed out the door. Ginny watched him go, feeling anxious but hopeful at the same time; perhaps this would all be over soon.

It wasn't five minutes before Ron and Hermione stepped through the fireplace, both looking slightly concerned as they looked from Ginny to Kingsley.

"Okay, so explain what's going on?" Ron asked as he walked over to the desk where the papers Harry and Ginny brought were laying. He and Kingsley began to discuss the findings when Hermione tapped Ginny on the shoulder.

"Are you all right?" she whispered.

Ginny nodded, giving Hermione a small smile as she shuffled her feet. Hermione eyed her curiously, wishing they were alone so they could talk.

"Do you think we could go down to my office, Kingsley?" Hermione asked. "I have some paperwork that I could pick up to work on while I'm home," she explained.

Kingsley and Ron glanced at each other, both of them shrugging their shoulders slightly. "Sure, I think that would be okay," Kingsley said.

"After that, maybe you can just go to our office, that way we can come down and tell you what's happening when we figure out a plan," Ron suggested.

"Yeah, yea… we can do that," Hermione said quickly, watching as Ginny nodded in agreement. They stepped out of the office and walked toward the lifts that would take them to level four where her office was located. When the lift was closed and they were alone, Ginny burst out laughing.

"What's funny?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know!" she said, wiping a stray tear from her eyes. "I'm anxious because it feels like maybe this will be over but I'm worried about what's going to happen. But, at the same time, I'm so happy and I just-"

"You've been with Harry since we all went into hiding, haven't you?" Hermione asked.

"Yes…" Ginny laughed, flushing with color.

Hermione grinned. "Well… I take it you finally got to use your contraceptive potion then?"

"No, I gave it all to you."

"WHAT?"

"Shhh!" Ginny laughed. "I'm just kidding – completely kidding! I had some; I had some this morning with breakfast."

"All right, you scared the daylights out of me. That's not funny," Hermione scolded.

"Perhaps not, but the look on your face was worth it," Ginny said as they exited the lift.

They walked swiftly to Hermione's office, which was thankfully empty, and gathered her paperwork that she had been searching for. They then walked back to the lift and ascended back to level two and walked to the Auror office.

The office was empty, so they quickly shut the door and walked to the very back where Ron's and Harry's desks were located. "So," Hermione began, sitting down and looking at Ginny with curious eyes. "I'm pulling a you and I'm asking you to tell me, leaving out intimate details, how your… night… was."

"You're pulling 'a me', I like that," Ginny said with a laugh. She blushed brightly and stared at her hands. "I didn't think I could ever, _ever_, feel that way. It's still kind of sinking in to be honest, and then we found all this stuff in his files and came here, it's been a bit of a whirlwind for me really," she said with a sigh.

"What prompted you guys to start looking through the files?"

"I woke up last night, and there was Harry, sitting on the edge of the bed reading through them. I asked him to come back to bed, which he did. He said… he said he had been thinking that that – us, together and alone – was all he would ever want, so I think he feels like he wants it to be over quicker."

"I think we all do," Hermione agreed.

"I agree, and that's why when I woke up I started looking through it. Hearing him say that made me realize how much I really do want him; not just in that way, but … it never even fazed me when you and Ron got engaged, or Angelina and George. I just felt happy for you, and figured it would come in its own time. Now, after being alone with Harry and not having anything to do or anywhere to go… or anyone around… it was wonderful. And I want it; I want the ring, and the dress, and Harry to think of me as a wife, all of that. I feel like a girl," Ginny said with a laugh.

"You are a girl… I mean, I guess I've never checked but I always assumed –"

"Shut up, you know what I mean," said Ginny as she watched Hermione chuckle.

"Harry already thinks of you as his wife, he just doesn't realize it yet," Hermione said.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do. I don't think he realized how much he needed you until you weren't there. I expect when you showed up on his doorstep he probably attacked you."

Ginny smiled. "After interrogating me for a minute, then yes, he did pretty much."

"I'm glad to hear it. I was so worried about him when Ron told me that he was by himself; Harry likes to think he functions well on his own, but he doesn't," Hermione explained. "When Ron left and it was just Harry and I camping and wandering from place to place, there was about a week or so when neither of us talked to each other. Harry would take out that map of his and just stare at it; I know he was just watching for your little dot at Hogwarts, you were on break though so he never got any relief that you were okay. But it hit me then that he didn't realize how much he needs people: you, Ron, me. It probably hit him hard when he was completely alone like that."

"That must have been an interesting month, when Ron was gone," Ginny said.

Hermione shrugged. "It was frightening more than anything; but it taught us both a few things about ourselves and about each other. Harry is one of my best friends; it was hard for me to watch him purposely make himself suffer. Which is why I'm so glad that he came to his senses; I was about to hit him upside the head with something," she said.

Ginny smiled. "Well… before I get my hopes up about anything, let's just see what happens with this other stuff going on."

Hermione nodded in agreement. They began to talk about what had been happening in Sommerset with Hermione's parents when the door opened and Proudfoot, Tim and Sabrina walked in. "Well, we have missing persons in our office," said Tim with a teasing tone in his voice. "What brings you here?"

Ginny briefly explained what had been found in the files Harry had taken home to the three of them; they all looked curious at the developments. "Harry is doing some research, but Ron and Kingsley were looking for you two," Ginny said, nodding toward Proudfoot and Sabrina in turn.

"Oh, I'll pop up there, then; I'd like to have a look at those logs," Sabrina said quickly. She looked sheepish and uncomfortable as Ginny observed her, wondering if she was thinking of their last encounter in the Leaky Cauldron. Sabrina said nothing more and quickly exited the room, confirming Ginny's suspicions that she was either embarrassed by her audacity or didn't wish to talk to Ginny any longer; which the latter didn't consider a loss.

Tim and Proudfoot began to bury themselves in various tasks, every so often asking Hermione and Ginny what they had been up to during hiding. After a half an hour Proudfoot stood and stretched tall. "I'm starving, is anyone else hungry?"

Tim shook his head, but Ginny and Hermione looked at each other. "I'm a little hungry," Hermione said quietly.

"Come on; I can take you down to the café and we can get something. It won't take more than a minute," he said, gesturing them toward the door.

"Well… wait. Maybe you should just bring them something," said Tim quietly. "I mean… if Ron and Harry are expecting you to be here, they'll freak out if they come and you're not."

"We'll only be gone a few minutes," said Proudfoot. "You're not going anywhere are you?"

"No, I'm not planning on it," said Tim.

"Well, then you can explain in the event they do stop in, right?"

Tim shrugged but eventually nodded, though his expression remained concerned. "I'll… do my best, I suppose. Are you two okay with going?" he asked.

Ginny glanced at Hermione, who shrugged and nodded her head. "We'll be okay. I think they'll be consumed for a while anyway," said Ginny. They bid Tim farewell and walked out the door with Proudfoot, talking about the different types of sandwiches offered at the café located in level eight of the Ministry.

Tim remained in the office reviewing the few statements they had managed to get from the Carrows and Umbridge – who was furious about being abandoned during her attempt to kidnap Ginny. The curse had been enacted that prevented her from being able to reveal any specific details about her assistant during the attack, the only thing she did reveal had everyone in the office confused beyond belief.

"The one you are looking for has an ostentatious appendage; he used those appendages to abandon me, bloody coward. But the main one is a princess who should have been drowned in the river Severn… but apparently her mother thought she should be saved," Umbridge said.

"What the hell does that mean?" Tim had asked her while Sabrina watched curiously.

"When you figure it out, you'll see the answer is right in front of you," Umbridge replied.

Tim tried to recall the conversation a hundred different ways, he'd looked over numerous myths about princesses being drowned in rivers and appendages, but nothing had come up.

While his mind was racing, the door opened up quietly, the only sound being a creak heard only as it shut. Tim raised his eyes. "I didn't think you'd be back yet," he said in a curious tone.

"_OBLIVIATE_!"

There was a flash of light, and Tim slumped against the desk, his eyes unfocused and blurry.

There was a knock at the door of Kingsley's office; he walked away from where he and Ron sat examining additional logs from Azkaban. Ron heard Kingsley greeting Sabrina and welcoming her inside.

"There's a reason for this, I'm sure, but we'll need to know who these people are, who they were visiting, and why so frequently," Kingsley was saying as he and Sabrina approached the desk.

Sabrina nodded and leaned over the desk to review the documents. Ron moved away and watched from the opposite side of the room; he and Kingsley had narrowed down several ministry employees with the initials SVL and MEP and were hoping she might be able to identify who would be visiting and why, though it was a bit of a surprise that she had showed up before they had summoned her.

"How did you know we needed to talk?" asked Ron curiously.

"Ran into Hermione and Ginny at the office," replied Sabrina. "This could be Meredith Parsons, her brother is imprisoned out there for several burglary attempts. The SVL I'm not sure; let me see the list you compiled again," she said, reaching for the piece of paper Kingsley was holding.

There was a glimmer of light from under the door and a small silvery beaver floated into the room. "Atrium," the message said.

Kingsley sighed. "Can you two continue to look over this while I go see what Lansing has to say?" he asked. Ron and Sabrina both nodded as they watched Kingsley exit the door.

"When did Harry take these home?" asked Sabrina.

"Not sure," Ron said.

"You two have kind of gone separate, have you?"

"Erm… no, not in the slightest. Obviously, hiding puts a damper on seeing him, but that doesn't mean anything. He's still my best mate," Ron said defensively.

Sabrina nodded, not lifting her eyes from the paper. "You think he feels the same way?"

Ron scowled. "I reckon. Can I ask what the hell you need to know this for?" he said, dropping all pretenses.

"Just curious…" she muttered, still keeping her eyes on the paper.

Ron made a face; he wasn't sure if he wanted to review the material with her if she was going to give him an inquisition about his friendship with Harry. He was well aware that Sabrina had told Harry that Ginny was better off without him, which Ron thought was out of line considering she barely knew Ginny or anything about their relationship. He didn't exactly feel like being analyzed by her at this moment, which was something she tended to do with everyone.

"I'm going to go check and see how Hermione and Ginny are," said Ron.

Sabrina didn't answer, so Ron shrugged and walked toward the exit from Kingsley's office. He had just placed his hand on the door knob when the strangest feeling came over him. Pulling out his wand instinctively, he turned just in time to see Sabrina pull hers out and aim it at him.

"_STUPEFY_!" they both cried at the same time. Ron's wand was still leaving his pocket, and the spell missed, instead hitting Kingsley's desk and chipping part of the wood. Sabrina's spell hit Ron square in the chest and he fell back, cracking his head against the door as he slumped limply to the ground.

Hermione and Ginny had finished their sandwiches and were now walking back to the office, talking lightly with Proudfoot as they ascended in the elevator. When they stepped off, a large crowd of people had gathered around the fountain for lunch time, talking loudly and bustling between offices.

"Oh no, I suppose we should go around, since you two are technically supposed to be in hiding," Proudfoot said, shunting the two girls in the opposite direction.

Hermione and Ginny followed a little reluctantly as they looked at the crowd. "I don't think it will matter; it's not a known fact that we're in hiding," Hermione said.

"Well, just in case; they're still investigating people in all the offices. I wouldn't want someone to see you and then relay information that you were here," he said, sounding concerned about that possibility. They had begun to walk toward a hallway that linked the Law office around to the Auror office, and once inside the tunnel both girls began to feel slightly disoriented.

When they reached the Law office, Proudfoot opened the door that led to the second path and frowned slightly. "We'll have to go back," he said. "This is blocked now, I forgot."

Hermione and Ginny glanced at each other. "Well, we can just go out the door and across the hall now; it's not-"

"Actually, no you can't," came a light voice from the doorway of the office. Ginny and Hermione turned sharply around to see a cloaked figure holding up a wand in their direction. They both moved to reach for theirs, but Proudfoot had already turned and wordlessly disarmed them both, catching their wands as they flew high in the air out of their reach. A few seconds after that, a misty haze settled over the two girls and they collapsed to the ground, asleep from the spell that had been cast.

Harry stared blankly into the blue liquid, watching his thoughts swirl around and trying to pick out connecting points. He brought his wand to his temple again and watched the silvery strand flow into the liquid. He leant down and immersed his face into the thoughts, feeling himself spinning and landing just behind where he and Dumbledore stood.

He was watching the memory of Dumbledore and himself visiting Slughorn's unaltered memory of Tom Riddle's Horcrux question. It was quite possibly the strangest scenario Harry had found himself in. There was Dumbledore as he always had been: tall, his white beard flowing to his knees, his hand blackened and burned from the curse on the Gaunt ring. And Harry stood next to him, possibly an inch shorter than he was now, untidy hair and glasses. Harry walked around and walked right up to the image of Tom Riddle in the memory, knowing that he couldn't be seen by anyone.

Harry stared, memorizing his features: Tall, handsome, jet black hair and dark chocolate colored eyes. His jaw line was angular and strong, his nose perfectly shaped and centered in his face. Riddle's smile never reached his eyes; it was flattering but not genuine.

Once Harry had memorized as many of Riddle's features as he could, he sighed and pulled himself back out and into the dark room that the Department of Mysteries worker had led him to. Harry put the tip of his wand into the silvery contents and watched them swirl, going over various events in his head.

Kreacher confirmed that the person did not break the charm on Grimmauld Place to enter; they had the password to gain access to Harry's residence. Harry thought back to all the people whom he had given the password in case they needed to reach him: Ron, Hermione, and Ginny obviously; George, Angelina, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. He knew none of them were involved, so he continued through his mental list.

Kingsley, Lansing, and Tim all had access, so did Neville, Proudfoot and Sabrina. Before Kreacher was murdered, he had also given the password to Eva Fabela from the Law office+ in case she needed to reach him for comment while she was reporting the stories. But no one else he could think of knew how to gain access to his residence.

Taking this list, Harry thought back to the initial break-in to the Ministry. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny again, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Proudfoot, Lansing, Kingsley and Sabrina were all there. During the investigation, they had concluded that only someone who was at the party could have gotten access to the offices, which excluded any of the Death Eaters or other Shadow members that were now incapacitated.

Harry began to pace, trying to piece together more events in his head. The break-in, the poisonings, what else had happened? There was a missing piece somewhere that Harry wasn't connecting.

There was a knock at the door, and Harry whirled around to see the guard who had let him in peer through the door. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but there is a young man out here who is demanding to see you. He says it's urgent."

Harry nodded and exited the room, pausing and widening his eyes as he saw Draco Malfoy pacing back and forth anxiously in the hallway. Harry walked over to him and waited for him to speak.

"Somewhere else," Draco muttered, not looking up at Harry.

"Is there somewhere private?" Harry asked the guard, watching as he indicated a room at the end of a short hallway. Harry nodded his head and motioned for Draco to follow him. When they got to the room, Harry stood in the doorway while Draco walked inside; Harry's hand was wrapped around his wand tightly, ready to pull it out in a seconds notice.

"I'm not going to attack you," Draco scoffed as he took in Harry's posture.

"I'm not going to trust you," replied Harry.

"All right. I can help you… I have information-"

"What are you talking about?" asked Harry, stepping forward into Draco's face. "How long? Why didn't-"

"Just, shut it okay! I can't say much… obviously you've realized –"

"You're under the enchantment," Harry confirmed, shaking his head as Draco stared at his trainers. "Never learn, do you? First Voldemort and now this; you and your parents are –"

"Potter, just… we weren't involved this time, with any of it! But… because we were in _His_ confidence, my parents knew about this. They told me when it all started happening again. After I was … well I'm going to call it poisoned, and went after Granger, they explained to me what happened. But then we were put under the enchantment because we knew too much," Draco explained rapidly.

"So you knew enough to be placed under the enchantment, but you aren't involved," Harry said, watching Draco nod. "Like I said, I don't trust you and I think this is a bunch of bull."

"After the end of the war we backed out, we wanted nothing of it, and that's why we've kept our head down! That's why we cooperate with anything you want! If we started doing anything, even going out in public or … going to the bank… anything, both your side and her side would be on us!" he exclaimed, rather wildly.

"I still don't believe it."

"Fine. Fine! I'm not going to convince you because I can't talk about it anyway, unless I want to die obviously," Draco spat. He looked pale and was slightly out of breath, Harry wondered if he'd said too much and perhaps the curse was starting to act.

Draco reached into the pocket of his robes and handed Harry a flask full of silvery liquid. "My mother… has been suffering, because of this… situation," he explained. "People have been staying at our house, destroying our things, cursing us ever since she made a poor error in judgment and confronted the heir about using me. She has since then been under a slow acting curse that will only resolve itself if this person dies."

"All right…" Harry said, taking the flask.

"Figure this out, get it solved, so she can get help. You… owe her, so to speak," Draco muttered.

"Yes… and you owe me," Harry reminded him. "If this doesn't make sense, I'm coming for you."

Draco nodded as he pulled his cloak around his shoulders and walked off without another word.

Harry made a face, but walked back to the dark room with the pensieve and shut the door. He watched the silvery substance float into the bowl, wondering exactly what he was about to see. Harry inhaled and leaned over to immerse his face in the liquid once more.

He fell into what he recognized as the Malfoy's main sitting area of their elaborate house. Narcissa sat stoically in the corner, and Harry stood behind her; he realized these must be her memories. Voldemort was pacing idly back and forth, he seemed to be lost in thought; Bellatrix sat anxiously next to Narcissa, as though awaiting an order. Travers stood in the corner, his face impassive as he watched Voldemort's movements.

There was a knock on the door, and Lucius Malfoy entered. "My Lord… there is a … girl, here to see you," he said quietly.

"Your description is vague, Lucius," Voldemort replied quietly. "This girl is who and why does she seek my council?"

"She says she's related to you," Lucius said unceremoniously.

Voldemort paused and looked up at Lucius with his red eyes. "Relation… send her in," he said with a sneer.

Bellatrix looked curious, Narcissa and Travers were both impassive, but Voldemort looked vaguely intrigued. A few moments later, Lucius came back with a figure in a black cloak. The figure approached Voldemort and hissed a greeting which Harry assumed was Parseltongue. Harry felt relief that he could no longer understand it. Voldemort's eyes widened in shock. "Who are you?" he asked.

The figure lowered its hood and Harry swore loudly before moving himself from the spot and stepping nearer to Voldemort to see the figure; to be sure… he had to be sure…

Dark hair hung round her face her thin face, and dark chocolate brown eyes watched Voldemort with anticipation. She was the spitting image of Tom Riddle in his youth, and Harry found himself breathing heavily in rage and shock at the realization that came crashing down on him.

_Sabrina._

"Explain yourself," Voldemort hissed venomously.

"Amaria Arbnori, from Konispol; she sends her well wishes on your new quest," Sabrina said in response.

"Amaria…" Voldemort said, allowing a flicker of comprehension to cross his face. "And you are…"

"Her daughter."

"Her daughter… and mine," he muttered.

There was a collective gasp from the room; Bellatrix leapt up, her eyes alight with jealousy. "It cannot be… it cannot…"

"It is Bella, I assure you," Voldemort said, a trace of laughter in his cold voice. "This is the pure-blooded child of Amaria and myself… I taught her the Dark Arts during my travels in Albania, much as I taught you, Bella. She was, intriguing, worshipful, a model student.

"And yes… there was one night… a night before I left, and that is where you come from. I am surmising your life history, tell me your story…" Voldemort said, gesturing for her to give her name.

"Sabrina," she replied. "And I've taken the liberty of infiltrating the Office of Magical Law Enforcement."

Voldemort's expression betrayed him for only a second; he was impressed beyond his intentions. "This is helpful, yes… However, why have you come?"

"I have come to learn," said Sabrina, her voice full of longing. "My mother has succumbed to this human weakness, but she said that you… you know the secrets; you know the steps toward immortality that she was too cowardly to take."

Voldemort laughed lightly. "Yes, I do know the secrets… but I do not believe I will share them just yet. I am intrigued by you, and your heritage is another accomplishment of mine; welcome to our ranks… but you will need to prove yourself before we will travel down that path."

Voldemort looked her over, as though he were sizing up a horse for breeding. "You are yet another tether I have to life. My blood runs in your veins, the blood of Slytherin… an unintended consequence of my union with your mother, but one that will benefit me, and possibly you in the end," he mused.

"Come… I long to introduce you to our group, you will be most adept at leading them and-"

"Leading?" spat Bellatrix. "My Lord… how can you be assured that she is yours? And without proof… without any previous loyalty toward you, where as I… we," she explained, indicating to the others in the room, "we have been loyal from the beginning. Where was this Amaria when you were alone?"

Voldemort turned his red eyes on Bellatrix, who backed away, her eyes alight with fear. "Amaria was in hiding herself, for asserting her own pure-blood heritage. And you step beyond your boundaries, Bella. She speaks Parseltongue, resembles myself in my youth… and I can sense power from her. Demonstrate for me, Sabrina, something your mother taught you," Voldemort asked.

Sabrina turned her eyes on Bellatrix, who was watching her closely, every feature of her once beautiful face reflected anger. Sabrina lifted her wand and flicked it; a spider crawled out the tip of her wand and toward Bellatrix, who laughed as it approached. Sabrina flashed a menacing grin and flicked her wand again.

The spider grew, and with complete conscious control knocked Bellatrix to the ground. She pulled out her wand but the spider shifted and turned into a thick blanket of black material that lay over Bellatrix. Harry watched as the woman began to gasp for air and struggle against the fabric, which was wrapping tighter and tighter around her with each passing second.

"STOP!" Narcissa yelled, jumping up from her chair. She turned her wand onto Sabrina who merely looked her way and held up a hand. Narcissa was thrown back against the wall sank to the floor, clawing at her throat as though an invisible hand was strangling her.

The fabric covering Bellatrix then changed into flames that circled her and kept her prisoner as she got to her feet, rage alight in her features.

"Impressive…" Voldemort said impassively. "I'd suggest you keep your thoughts and opinions to yourself, Bella," he said snidely, turning back toward the door and motioning for Sabrina to follow.

The scene shifted, and Harry was watching as Narcissa stood against a wall cowering in fear. Lucius and Bellatrix were on the floor screaming in pain; Draco was hiding in the corner, his hands covering his head trying to block out the sounds that echoed from the room.

Voldemort stood over Bellatrix and Lucius, his features full of rage; Sabrina stood behind him, watching with impassive curiosity at his methods of torture.

"This is the last time… the last time your mistakes will continue to defeat my plans," Voldemort spat venomously. "Escaped again, you cannot even keep an unqualified wizard teenager under your charge."

"My lord, the house-elf assisted-"

"I don't want your pathetic excuses!" Voldemort shouted, flashing his wand again at Lucius and watching as the man convulsed on the floor. The curse lasted only a few minutes before Voldemort stood, his chest heaving with his labored breaths.

"YOU!" he barked at Sabrina, who stepped forward instantly. "Be warned, this is retribution for any failure on your part as well…"

Sabrina nodded, her eyes unafraid.

The scene shifted again, and this time Sabrina was at a desk in the Ministry. She was in Umbridge's office alone, writing a note. The blood quill was in her hands; she showed no pain as she wrote the words "Complete your task" again and again on the paper. A group consisting of the Carrows, Malfoys, Roldolphus Lestrange and Travers stood in the corner watching her. It was obvious by their posture and level of comfort that this scene had been going on for some time.

"Now you," she said, handing them the quill, scoffing when they shook their heads. Blood dripped over her hand as she held out the quill, making soft sounds as it hit the carpet. "You'll burn the mark onto your skin but you won't agree to finish his work?"

"It's over… he's gone and this is-"

"It is not finished," she hissed at Lucius Malfoy. "This boy… this person who robbed me of my teacher, he will pay. And with his blood, we will resurrect the Dark Lord, and complete the work he had set in motion. The way to immortality will be found, and once it is we will rule over the mudbloods and muggles again."

Narcissa shook her head. "We cannot… we were too involved in this last defeat, we did nothing-"

"You did nothing… I am aware of your two-faced betrayal. I do not wish you to be involved in the work to restore my father; you abandoned him once and he let you back, but twice… he would not. He said it was your last mistake when the boy and his renegades escaped from your grasp; and I will keep his promise if you do anything to interfere with my plans," she threatened.

Lucius moved to say something, but Sabrina walked forward and held her wand to his throat, causing him to gasp and struggle for air. "The _Avada Kedavra_ will kill you much too quickly… I prefer a longer route," she said quietly before releasing him. "Get out of my sight… and anything said about my existence or our plans will cause you more pain than lack of breath will."

The scene changed once more, and Sabrina was sitting in front of Lucius at Malfoy Manner again. She was drawing her wand across his throat slowly, watching as he struggled for air.

"This will bind your tongue, it was getting too much use… now, Draco, you say the friends… his friends are the best path to him?"

Draco didn't nod or respond in anyway, Sabrina stood and walked toward him, her eyes flashing menacingly.

"Yes," Narcissa said quickly. "That's the best way… Potter will do anything for his friends."

"Stupid and simple… just as he appears," Sabrina muttered. She moved very quickly then and drew her wand across Draco's and Narcissa's throats, watching as they collapsed on the floor. "Very well, I'll take that route then. The curse will keep your voices quiet, you know the consequence if it doesn't." With a cold glance at the group, she walked toward the door and outside.

Harry pulled himself out of the pensieve, his thoughts racing wildly as he raced out the door and to the lift. Once he was on level one, he ran straight to Kingsley's office. He threw open the door, but the room was empty; papers were scattered about, and a large chunk of wood was missing from the corner of the desk.

"NO!" Harry shouted. He turned and raced to the Auror office, throwing open the door there to see Kingsley and Lansing standing over Tim, examining him closely.

"Where- what happened?" He shouted, causing Kingsley and Lansing to jump.

"We're not sure… Tim can't… well, he can't remember a thing from today or last week. He's-"

"Where's Ginny? Where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked frantically.

"I left Ron with Sabrina in-"

"NO!" Harry screamed. He ran to her desk and began throwing the drawers open, frantically searching for some clue to their whereabouts. "It's her! She's the heir!"

"What?" Lansing asked. "No… no she was with the Law Office for-"

"A year! A year before she joined, that's because she infiltrated to get close to Voldemort! She's the heir!" Said Harry. He stopped his searching and gave them a brief rundown of what he saw in the pensieve.

"I can't… no, it can't be… it just can't be," Lansing said. "She-"

"She is, I swear it! Damn it!" he said, throwing another drawer onto the floor. A map tumbled out, it had several places marked on it, one being Konispol, Albania. "SEE! She's from Albania… Voldemort and her mum most have met when he was there! And the initials!," Harry cried, holding up her Ministry contract that laid in the bottom of the drawer. "Sabrina Velna Lutz – SVL!" He handed the paper to Kingsley, who's eyes widened in shock. "Where is she? We've got to find them!"

"Harry, just calm down," Kingsley said. "---------Maybe… if we can get Tim talking, or remove the charm-"

Harry almost knocked Kingsley aside as he strode in front of Tim and pointed his wand directly at his temple. "_Rememorari," _he shouted, causing all of them to jump again.

Tim's eyes glazed over, and he shook his head slowly. He looked up at Harry with a blank expression.

"Tim… please… where's Ginny? Where did they go?" he said, desperation creeping into his voice.

Tim stared at him for another moment, then seemed to come to his senses very suddenly. "PROUDFOOT!" he shouted, "that's what Umbridge meant! Ostentatious appendage… Proudfoot is involved… and… and," Tim sputtered, his eyes flicking back and forth rapidly.

"Sabrina!" Harry shouted, anger bursting out of him at the situation.

"She … she stunned me, or something… I don't know," Tim said. "Ginny and Hermione… they went with Proudfoot for … for something to eat… they aren't back?"

"No," Kingsley said in a somber voice. He looked over his shoulder at Harry who was panting and trying to marshal his thoughts. "Are you sure, Tim, are you sure they went with Proudfoot?"

"Yes… I told them not to; I said Harry and Ron would panic and-"

"Ahh!" Harry suddenly shouted; the three men looked over just in time to see him stumble into Proudfoot's desk, clutching his right hand tightly. "My… my charm… it's … ahhh… it's been activated," he said staring at his hand. "They're… they're by the sea, near Azkaban," Harry said.

Before anyone could stop him or respond to his proclamation, Harry had stepped outside the door and took off in a sprint toward the lifts, desperate to get to where Ginny, Ron and Hermione were and save them from whatever Sabrina had planned.


	37. Gone for Good

Gone for Good

"Inertia Creeps" Massive Attack

* * *

Ginny sat quietly on a rock in the cold, damp cave, her hands bound in front of her and mind racing for possible solutions to their situation. They had been taken to a cave on by the sea, and Sabrina and Proudfoot had tied Ginny and put her aside, despite vigorous protests from Ron and Hermione. Without any explanation of why they were there, Sabrina had set up several items around a small depression in the rock: all three of their wands, two separate vials of an unrecognizable substance, and a small knife.

Ron and Hermione had both been force-fed a potion that rendered them catatonic. It had been a struggle, though; Ron had been tortured for an extended period of time before he had given in and swallowed the grey liquid; Hermione had only agreed after they had threatened to kill Ron and Ginny if she didn't. They were now seated back to back, bound to one another; both of them staring into the space around them, not saying a word no matter how Ginny shouted at them.

"Is stubbornness a trait of Gryffindor house, or is it something that runs in your family?" asked Sabrina, her voice light and conversational as she polished the knife with a cloth.

"No," Ginny replied.

"Then it must just be you four; I've never met people who fight so hard against the inevitable," she said lightly, shaking her head.

Ginny didn't respond; she stared at her brother and friend, silently praying for them to be okay despite whatever they had been forced to drink. Her mind was racing and her temper felt like it was going to burst through the surface at any second, but she kept it repressed despite her instincts. She had tried to run once and Proudfoot had caught her and slammed her hard against the stone; the back of her head still ached from the impact.

"Go ahead, try and run," Sabrina had said. She flicked her wand and the bindings around Ron and Hermione started to glow brightly. They burst into flame, burning away parts of their clothing and cutting into their skin.

"STOP!" Ginny shouted. She walked over to the stone and willingly sat down, watching as Sabrina flicked her wand and the fire spell ceased.

"Run if you wish, it'll only make their death happen quicker," she said. Sabrina walked over to Ginny and grabbed the bracelet on her wrist, turning it several times as she stared her down. The metal grew hot against her skin, Ginny wondered if the more times it was turned the more the active the summoning spell was on her affinity charm.

"You're awfully quiet now," Sabrina mused after a few minutes had passed. "Cat got your tongue, pretty?" she asked in a conversational tone. Ginny scoffed and refused to look at her face. "You're always full of opinions; surely something must come to mind."

"There are a few things on my mind, yes, but I'd rather not share them with you," she replied quietly.

"Awh, come on," said Sabrina, moving to stand in front of where Ginny sat. "I can tell you a few of my secrets."

"You first," snapped Ginny.

Sabrina smiled an evil twisted grin and began to walk around the rock where Ginny sat. "One thing I learned early on is that honesty is always the best policy. People don't suspect you if you are honest about everything; if you're honest with questions, you must be honest in intentions right? I wondered if perhaps that would prove wrong with you four and the office for that matter, but it didn't; no one even bothered to look into anything or question it.

"I thought someone would pick up on the fact that Konispol is right on the border of Greece and Albania and figure it out, but no one did. It made it all too easy," Sabrina laughed.

"Why would we give a damn where you're from?"

"Well, when the heir revealed themselves, I thought for sure the first step would be to look for people from Albania, where the Dark Lord spent so many years researching and where he returned when his body had been destroyed. But no one did! I'm rather disappointed in all of you. I expected much more investigative work," Sabrina said.

"Voldemort wasn't capable of love, which is why the idea of an heir seems so far-fetched," Ginny replied.

"I told you all… you don't have to have _love_ to have a child."

Ginny watched Sabrina walk around her again before pausing in front of her and staring into her eyes. "You're the heir?" scoffed Ginny. "You're pathetic! You couldn't fight off Umbridge or Dementors or –"

Sabrina slapped Ginny hard across the face, the sound echoing off the stone walls. "Stupid girl. All that was planned on purpose; I couldn't let anyone suspect me, obviously."

Sabrina stepped back and eyed Ginny, who kept her head down staring at her trainers. She was silent for a few moments, listening to the crash of the waves against the rock.

"Aren't you curious as to why you're here?" asked Sabrina.

"I'm stupid… remember?" said Ginny sarcastically.

"Not that stupid."

"Well, obviously you poisoned and bound those two to control me, and I'm assuming the reason you kidnapped us all is so Harry will come," said Ginny.

"Partially," Sabrina shrugged. "Do you know how to make a Horcrux?"

Ginny looked up, her eyes flickering with fear for the first time. Sabrina smiled, "I know the theory, I've read the books… but reading the books and doing the act are two separate things. Which is why I need my father; and to get my father, I need Potter; and to get Potter… you can surmise the rest."

"Well, explain to me then how exactly you are going to deal with five other people, because Harry won't be coming alone. He'll talk to Tim and-"

"Holcombe? He's out of the way; besides, he's too consumed with the grief of his dead Mudblood girlfriend to pick up on anything," Sabrina interrupted. "No… Potter will come to us because we have you and that handy little bracelet. He really does love you, it's sad … but it will make it more powerful for me."

"Make what more powerful?" asked Ginny.

"My Horcrux, of course!" Sabrina laughed. "Once my father is back, I'm going to make one and he'll be needing to make another so… we need a few souls to harvest."

"I thought a Horcrux was splitting your own soul," Ginny said in a confused voice.

"It is… but in order to split your soul another soul has to cause the split – which is why a death is necessary. You have to endure the pain of the split, and capture the portion of your soul that has now broken apart, and harness the Dark forces to create the new being: the Horcrux," Sabrina explained lightly.

Ginny stared at Sabrina, her eyes widening as she considered all that would have to be done. She swallowed and turned her eyes to the floor, again trying to think of ways out of the situation other than Harry bursting through the cave entrance and rescuing them.

Sabrina moved to her array of objects and wiped the knife she had been playing with off again. She walked over to Ginny and pulled her bound arms in front of her. Ginny gasped when the knife pierced her skin and watched as the warm liquid flowed down her arms and into a glass Sabrina was holding. "One good thing about you is that I can perform an additional charm on myself that will hopefully prevent the … damage… that making a Horcrux causes to ones appearance," she said, watching Ginny's blood fill up the glass.

"Why do you need me?"

"You're pretty, and young… and still innocent," said Sabrina with a grin. "That was another thing that confused me, the self sacrificing nature. You offering yourself to Harry, him refusing because he didn't think you were ready. Who is that self sacrificing? I couldn't… what's so funny?" Sabrina hissed.

Ginny had started to laugh hysterically, the sound echoing off the walls. "You might want to reconsider using my blood if the person has to be innocent," she said, glancing up at Sabrina whose eyes flashed angrily. "Who's stupid now? The only way I could have ended up at the Ministry today is if Harry brought me, meaning we were together… _alone_ together since we were in hiding. Or… wait… go ahead and use my blood; I'd like to see what happens when you screw up and –"

Sabrina slapped her hard across the face again. She pulled out a long white wand and placed it against Ginny's throat, hissing something under her breath and watching as Ginny began to gasp and breathe shallowly. "Well… this just makes you less useful to me. Once I get Potter here, I can dispose of you then, too," she whispered, watching as Ginny struggled to breathe.

Ginny felt like the breath was being forcefully pushed out of her lungs; she gasped and squirmed in protest, trying to avoid Sabrina's piercing eyes which were full of malice. Sabrina looked away for a second, muttering words at Proudfoot's approaching figure. She then turned back and scowled at Ginny before flicking her wand and tapping it against Ginny's head. There was a flash of purple and Ginny felt an intense surge of pain rush through her body before everything went black, and she faded away into unconsciousness.

"We've got company," Proudfoot muttered as he walked across the cave toward Sabrina, watching as she grinned widely.

Harry had Apparated to the coast near Azkaban. He could see the tower off in the distance, but wondered exactly where Ginny, Ron and Hermione were being held. He wasn't sure whether he should try to be quiet upon his approach, or if Sabrina and Proudfoot were already aware he was coming and he shouldn't even bother with it. He opted for the latter when Sabrina stepped out into the entrance of a cave that was nestled into the side of a small mountain.

"Harry, what brings you here?" she asked lightly.

Harry raised his wand defensively and paused in his steps. Though he had previously regarded Sabrina's skill at dueling negligible, he had since decided that she had probably faked a lot of her ineptitude. "I'm not in the mood to play games; where are they?" he asked, not even bothering to pretend he didn't know what she was up to.

"What do you mean?" asked Sabrina, her voice full of curiosity.

"I know, all right; I know everything. I've figured it out. Now where are they?" Harry demanded, stepping closer to where Sabrina stood.

She smiled knowingly. "Figured it out at last, good, it saves us time," she said with a nod.

"Where are they?" shouted Harry.

"All right, all right; they're in here, no harm has been done," replied Sabrina, motioning toward the inside of the cave. She moved inside, smirking at Harry's enraged expression; Harry followed slowly, retaining his defensive posture as he stepped inside the cave.

"That bracelet of Ginny's works; I must say, that was handy," Sabrina said. Proudfoot approached behind Harry and attempted to take his wand, but Harry whipped around and wordlessly threw him back against the cave wall. His head hit the stone with a crack and he slumped to the floor, dazed but not unconscious.

"Morgan… not so quick," Sabrina said cautiously, watching the man stand up and shake his head. "Let him keep it for now; he'll willingly give it up in a few minutes I bet. Tell me, Harry, how did you come to find us?"

Harry scowled. "I figured it out, I'm a little angry at myself for not realizing it earlier; but you're a good liar, congratulations on that," he explained with a nod. "You have Ginny; she activated her Affinity Charm and that's how I came here. I'm guessing Ron and Hermione are here as well, now where are they?"

Sabrina smiled, "I see you won't be deterred," she said before waving her wand. The air shimmered as the disillusionment charms were removed; Harry eyes widened as he stared around the cave. Ron and Hermione were bound back to back, both of them staring blankly in opposite directions. Harry walked over to them, shaking their shoulders gently; he couldn't tell if they had been confunded or something worse.

"Ron… Ron!" Harry said, shaking his friend's shoulders; Ron did not respond, his head lolled from side to side but his eyes and expression remained blank. Hermione responded the same way when Harry shook her as well.

"What did you do to them?" asked Harry. He turned to look at Sabrina and saw on the opposite side of the cave Ginny's still figure lying against a rock. Her face was pale and her breathing came in shallow gasps; there was a trail of blood running down her arms which were bound together. A surge of rage filled Harry's body and he stood up and attempted to run toward her but was thrown back when Sabrina flicked her wand in his direction.

"Not so fast, Harry," she said with a malicious smile. "They're all still alive, you don't need to let that temper of yours act so quickly; it gets the better of you sometimes, makes you think and feel things that aren't necessarily rational," Sabrina quipped. "Now, I only need a few things from you; your friends and lover are only involved to get you here, as I'm sure you have guessed. This really should be almost routine by now, yes?" asked Sabrina.

"What do you want? Voldemort back?" Harry asked, watching as Sabrina's eyes flashed. "It's not going to happen."

"We'll see about that. I need your blood, quite a bit of it and-"

"It won't work!" Harry shouted. He raised his hand and pointed to the lightening shaped scar on his fore head. "See this? Every time Voldemort would feel a surge of power, or hatred, or any other emotion – even before he had his body back – this would hurt like hell. That hasn't happened since he was killed, not once. No matter how much power you have, or whatever you did, it hasn't hurt this whole time. He's gone, and he's not coming back," Harry said, lowering his voice slightly; Sabrina narrowed her eyes and glared at him.

"You're doing this all for nothing," Harry said in a placating voice. "All your followers are gone; they're all gone. This… it's pointless. He's not coming back, Sabrina, and you're not going to gain power; there are too many-"

Sabrina slashed the air with her wand; there was a noise like the crack of a whip and Harry doubled over in pain. His hands hit the stone and he felt blood pooling beneath them from a deep gash across his arms and chest. He saw Sabrina's feet approaching him and pushed himself back up, raising his wand and silently attempting to stun her, but Proudfoot had approached from behind him and pushed him flat on his face, causing his aim to go astray.

Sabrina sidestepped the jet of red light, scowling at Harry as Proudfoot pulled him roughly to his feet. She slapped him soundly across the face. "You lie! I am a tether! His blood is in my veins and he will be brought to life when my blood mixes with that of his murderer!" she screamed at him.

Sabrina handed Proudfoot a silver knife and as they pushed Harry toward the center of the cave. There was a small impression in the stone that resembled a basin; Harry watched as she picked up the vial of ashes that had been stolen from the ministry along with a large flask of grey liquid. She poured the liquid into the basin as Proudfoot pushed Harry so he stood overtop the liquid, drops of his blood mixing with the grayish fluid.

"A_lacritas et reverto ut viscus_," she whispered, waving her wand in a complex motion over the liquid. It started to bubble violently, and she poured the ashes inside. A thick cloud of smoke formed and the three of them backed away.

Sabrina watched for a moment, smiling gently, before walking across the cave and over to Ginny's lifeless figure. Proudfoot handed Harry the knife and walked away. Harry looked at Sabrina, who motioned to the bubbling liquid.

"Your blood, Potter… that's what it needs," Sabrina said, watching him curiously. "Do it… It's going to be added either way, but you can make the choice how. If you do it yourself, your love and your friends will be set free. If not, we'll take it anyway and you can watch them die."

Sabrina waved her wand over Ginny's figure; the sound of her breathing ceased instantly, and Harry watched as her eyes came open and she struggled against invisible bonds. He could tell that she was struggling for oxygen, but breathing was impossible because of the curse she was under. Her lips were blue and her face grew paler and paler... Sabrina stepped closer to Ginny and touched the tip of her wand to Ginny's forehead, staring at Harry in anticipation.

"Your choice…" she muttered. "_Perfero_-"

"ALL RIGHT!" Harry shouted, feeling a surge of panic inside of him; he didn't know what curse Sabrina had intended to use but he also didn't want to find out. "Okay… okay…" he muttered, moving closer to the basin. Sabrina stepped away from Ginny as Harry brought the knife to the inside of his elbow and pierced the skin. Warm red blood flowed down his arm and into the boiling grey liquid; Harry watched as Sabrina removed the enchantment and Ginny fell back into a sleep, her breathing resuming the rapid pace it had been since he arrived. Harry sighed heavily and continued to stand over the basin, letting copious amounts of his blood from the cut on his arm and the wounds on his chest pour into the boiling contents.

The color of the steam billowing from the basin changed from grey to red, and Sabrina ran to Harry's side, pushing him away unceremoniously. She snatched the knife from his hands and made a long gash across her palm, adding her blood to the mixture.

"_Resurrexi atrum domino_!" she cried, waving her wand over the liquid. Sparks flew from the potion, and Harry stepped away from where Sabrina stood, her face alight with glee as she watched and waited.

Proudfoot too was watching avidly; so avidly that he had stopped paying attention to Harry, assuming he was weak from loosing so much blood. Harry did feel faint, his vision was blurry and his head spun, but he aimed his wand at Proudfoot's figure and quietly whispered, _"Imperio."_

Proudfoot's face went blank; he stood up straight and walked toward the entrance of the cave before sitting down and staring out at the sea, completely unnoticed by Sabrina who was still staring avidly at the bubbling potion. Harry pulled himself to a kneeling position, eyeing Ron and Hermione out of the corner of his eye. Their expressions were still blank, but their eyes were a little more alert; whatever was affecting them was either wearing off or losing its power as more and more of Sabrina's blood fell into the contents of the potion. Ron was staring at the smoke billowing from the basin, while Hermione was staring at Harry curiously, almost as though she recognized him.

"_Resurrexi Atrum Domino!" _Sabrina shouted again as more smoke billowed from the basin. Harry could tell she was becoming agitated that nothing was happening. The spell did not seem to be working as she had planned.

She suddenly looked over at Harry, her eyes alight with rage. "Apparently we need more than just blood," she said as she walked over to him. He moved his wand to block her but she was too quick; she grasped his wrist and punched him in the face, causing him drop it on the floor; he watched helplessly as it rolled over to the stone where Ginny lay. Sabrina pulled him roughly to his feet and dragged him over toward the basin.

"Killing you _now_ wasn't my plan, but I underestimated just how much of you I would need," she said. Harry struggled and tried to push Sabrina away from him, but she was stronger than he had imagined. She pushed him over the basin and he braced himself against it, the heat from the boiling liquid making his eyes water and his skin burn.

But then Sabrina screamed and released Harry. She fell backwards against the stone, clutching her abdomen in pain. Harry looked up to see Ginny holding his wand as she knelt beside the stone; she was gasping for breath and her face was still pale, but whatever spell had previously held her there broke and she was, for the moment, free.

"Ginny, Run!" Harry shouted. He pulled himself to his knees and moved to help her, but out of the corner of his eye saw something completely unexpected.

Sabrina stood and closed her eyes, her body shifting and changing into something large and hairy, with eight legs and horrific eyes. Her slight figure was replaced by an Acromantula, as large and as terrifying as Aragog had been. She scuttled quickly toward Ginny, knocking Harry aside with a flick of her leg.

Ginny screamed and fired several spells from Harry's wand as the spider that had been Sabrina bore down upon her. Harry grabbed Sabrina's wand that had been thrown aside and leapt to his feet. "NO!" he shouted as he ran toward where the giant spider was pinning Ginny to the ground.

Two fangs appeared from under the pincers of the spider and sank deeply into Ginny's abdomen; her scream echoed off the walls as Harry reached her side.

"_Reverto vultus_!" Harry screamed, flicking Sabrina's wand the spider that had now pressed Ginny back against the corner of the cave. It was flung back away from where Ginny lay and morphed back into Sabrina, who was gasping with rage.

"Ginny!" Harry screamed, looking into her eyes which were wide with fear as she struggled to breathe. There was a scream and Sabrina was on her feet again; Harry grabbed his wand from Ginny's hand and shouted "_Stupefy_!"

Sabrina dodged the red light again and ran toward him. Harry jumped up and before she reached him, he flicked his wand the force of his shield charm pushed her back toward the steam still billowing from the makeshift basin.

Sabrina stumbled and stepped into the basin; at once, the potion within seemed to come to life. Several pairs of small hands appeared and grabbed on to her, pulling her further into the basin. She tried to escape, but the creature the liquid had formed was pulling her down to the ground as she struggled. There was smoke billowing throughout the cave; Harry had no clue what was happening but he didn't want to remain trapped with whatever was about to be formed. He bent down and picked Ginny up carefully, carrying her back over to where Ron and Hermione were sitting. He grabbed their wands which were lying next to the stone basin as he moved toward them.

"RON! HERMIONE!" He shouted, causing both of them to jump and look at him. He waved his wand and undid their binding, still cradling Ginny's limp figure next to him. "Come on, we've got to-"

Sabrina let out a horrid scream that interrupted his thoughts; the liquid creature had wrapped itself around her and covered her like a cloak, tiny fingers tearing at her hair and clothing as it crawled up and over her body. Ron and Hermione stood and began to back away, both of them still looking dazed and confused as to what was happening; Harry picked up Ginny and shunted them toward the cave entrance.

"Harry? We… what happened?" Ron shouted as they ran.

"Come on!" Harry shouted, pushing him out of the cave and into the cool air. They ran for a few paces before he collapsed and laid Ginny down on the damp grass.

"Help me! We've got to get that spell off her before she suffocates!" he shouted, tapping his wand against her chest and muttering every counter-curse he could think of. She had stopped gasping and her eyes had rolled back in her head; blood and venom from the acromantula's fangs coated her shirt with a sticky silvery-red fluid. Hermione snatched a wand from his hand and muttered something that caused the flow of blood to cease. There was the sound of a scream from the entrance to the cave and Harry jumped to his feet.

Sabrina's figure, which was screaming as the grey liquid cling to her skin, was stumbling out of the cave entrance. "STUPEFY!" Harry shouted as he ran toward her. She slumped to the ground and was still, but the liquid creature still clung to her, tiny hands pulling and clawing at her skin as though it was trying to move inside her.

Harry stepped closer, wondering how best to siphon the potion off of her still figure, but he was thrown back by a loud bang and a flash of black smoke. He watched as Sabrina's figure, entombed within the grayish material, seemed to implode upon itself until nothing was left but a small pile of ash that lay smoldering in the grass. An eerie sound echoed around him… the sounds of a scream dying away.

Proudfoot was still sitting blankly in the cave entrance, oblivious to all that was happening around him. Harry cast a spell to bind his hands and feet and then ran back over to where Ginny, Ron and Hermione were.

"We've got to get her to Mungo's," Ron shouted at Harry. "What bit her?"

"Sabrina… she… she was an animagus, an acromantula," he explained. He took Ginny's face in his hands and shook her, "Ginny, can you hear me? Ginny!"

"Did you send a message?" Hermione asked Ron, watching as he nodded.

"Ginny? Hang on, please hang on," Harry muttered. Her chest was barely moving as she struggled for breath; her lips were blue and her body was still beneath his hands. Harry suddenly felt dizzy and light headed, Ron was speaking to him but he couldn't understand.

"You're covered in blood, what happened? Harry? Harry!" Ron shouted, watching as Harry collapsed. "Where's he bleeding from?" Ron asked, watching as Hermione tore open Harry's shirt to reveal a deep gouge across his chest and shoulders.

Hermione moved her wand over Harry's chest, muttering a spell quietly to seal the wound. There were several loud cracks around them and Kingsley, Lansing, and Tim appeared. Lansing moved to fully capture Proudfoot, who was still bound and seated near the entrance to the cave while the others crowded around Harry, Ginny, Ron, and Hermione and tended to their needs.

Ginny breathed deeply, enjoying the feel of air in her lungs and her chest expanding fully. She kept her eyes closed, however; listening to the sounds around her and trying to discern where she was. After a few moments she gathered that she must be at St. Mungo's in a hospital bed. She opened her eyes slowly to see Hermione sitting next to her in a bed of her own.

"Oh good, you're awake," she sighed in relief. "How are you feeling?"

Ginny tried to sit up, but the pain in her stomach prevented her from doing so. "Lousy… I don't… I know I was bit by that… thing… but what else happened?"

"You had a lung crushing curse placed on you; that's what all those followers were cursed with that made them unable to talk. You also had some type of curse that made your heart rate increase very rapidly, basically giving you a heart-attack. So, if you feel weak and out of breath, that's why. All that in addition to the venom, which has made you quite sick I must say," Hermione explained.

"Sick how?"

"Well, you've been vomiting and such, but mostly you've just slept. They don't want you to move around much; course they told me that as well and I'm not a good listener," she said with a shrug.

Ginny chuckled and looked around. "Where're Harry and Ron?"

"Ron is up walking around. He's been confined just as we have. Harry is over there, asleep. He's been having to take blood replenishers because he lost so much blood from that cut, but he refuses to leave or rest in bed; he sleeps right next to you, just waiting for you to wake up," Hermione explained with a smile.

"How much blood did he lose?" asked Ginny, pushing herself into a seated position and examining Harry's sleeping figure in the chair. His face was pale, and he had a scruffy five o-clock shadow around his jaw, but otherwise looked unharmed. Ginny longed to hold him, but the pain in her stomach prevented her from moving any closer to where he sat.

"A lot," Hermione said gravely. "Enough for Sabrina to use to fill up part of the basin for her failed spell."

"Failed?"

"Yes… though we don't know why yet," Hermione explained. "It would stand to reason that Voldemort would have been resurrected if Sabrina was the heir, but it didn't work. It sounds like the spell did summon his … well, it summoned something evil. But it wasn't enough for a body, or to resurrect him… or I'm not really sure what she was trying to do."

Ginny frowned. "So … she was his child?"

"Everything appears that way. Draco Malfoy gave Harry a vial of his mother's memories; the Malfoys, Bellatrix and Travers were the only ones who knew that Sabrina was this heir. It sounds like Voldemort and Sabrina's mother had a brief affair and conceived her, but Voldemort left soon afterwards. He didn't even know the woman was pregnant. She was born sometime during the first war, and her mother kept her secret, thinking Voldemort would rise to power and come back. Course… we all know how that worked out," Hermione said. "Then her mother died right after the end of our fifth year, just after the Ministry announced he was back. That's when Sabrina joined the Ministry and approached the Death Eaters. She was on the inside from the very beginning; no one suspected a thing."

"That's poor investigation on our part I'd say," Ginny scoffed.

"No… she did a very good job covering it all up. She withheld just enough to keep it secret, but not enough to make her suspicious."

Ginny sighed. "How did Proudfoot become involved? He was on our side all the way through."

"Well… he met her during the Ministry take over; we didn't realize it since almost no one on our side was left in the Law Offices when Thicknesse was Minister, but he really liked how things were going. She convinced him after Voldemort's downfall that she could bring it all back. The Carrows and Lestrange and all of them knew her from being in Voldemort's ranks, so they were easily convinced; and that's how it happened," Hermione explained.

"How did Harry figure all this out?" Ginny asked. "The only thing on those documents were initials."

"Draco Malfoy actually came to the Ministry looking for Harry and he ran into Kingsley. He sent him down to the Department of Mysteries where Harry was, and Malfoy had a vial of his mother's memories that basically filled us in," Hermione explained. "Without that, Harry would have gone to that cave thinking you had summoned him instead of knowing what was really going on."

Ginny considered this. "So the Malfoys knew…but we didn't arrest them?"

"They didn't participate, but since they knew they were been sworn to secrecy. Sabrina started using them as she saw fit: having people stay at their house uninvited, using Draco to try and stir things up among the four of us," Hermione said. "But after it came out that he had been under a love potion, Narcissa apparently had enough; she went and told Sabrina to leave them alone, and Sabrina cursed her and she's been getting sicker and sicker ever since."

"Huh," Ginny said, lying back against her pillows. "Is she all right?"

"As far as I know," Hermione shrugged. "I saw his dad in here the other day picking something up, and he talked to Kingsley so I'm guessing she's being treated for whatever it was."

Ginny nodded and looked over at Harry's sleeping figure, sighing heavily in relief that it really did seem to be over at last. A nurse came in and began to fuss over her and Hermione being awake and so active, which effectively ended their conversation and left Ginny with numerous other questions running through her head.

"Mr. Potter, you really shouldn't leave and –"

"I'll be back in less than an hour; I need to find out some more answers," Harry replied to the mediwitch. He had talked to Hermione about Ginny being awake, but when it appeared she would be sleeping for another few hours after being given a dreamless sleep potion, he decided to go and get some answers for himself.

"Still… apparition after losing so much blood is very inadvisable. Surely whatever it is can wait," the woman responded.

"No, it can't. I'll be back though, please keep an eye on Ms. Weasley for me," he said, before stepping out the door and into the fireplace down the hall.

He had sent Deacon to McGonnagall's office, requesting that the connection between Mungo's and Hogwarts be activated so he could relay the story to her and Dumbledore's portrait. The situation with the Shadow was over; Umbridge, The Carrows, Travers and all the other members had been attacked by Dementors on Sabrina's orders and were now catatonic and imprisoned in Azkaban. Nothing could be done to bring them back, and everyone agreed it was probably for the best.

"It puts a stop to this all together; all the supporters are gone now and so nothing can come back," Lansing had said when he brought Proudfoot to the prison he had once helped regulate.

"It's over… what more can you get from me?" he asked Lansing when he was brought to Azkaban.

"For now, nothing; when we have questions, you'll answer them," Lansing had replied coldly before locking him in the most secure cell in the prison.

Harry stepped into McGonnagall's office and brushed himself off. "Evening, Potter. How are you?" Professor McGonnagall greeted, scrutinizing Harry through her square spectacles.

"I'm … I'm all right, I guess," Harry laughed. He felt relief that it was over, but couldn't help wondering if something was waiting in the wings to happen again.

"Harry," Dumbledore's portrait said quietly. "Minerva tells us you have quite a story since the last time we saw you."

"Yes, sir… and it's got quite a few holes in it as well. So I'm hoping they can be filled in, at least somewhat," Harry replied, eyeing Professor Snape's portrait. "Professor Snape?" he asked finally after a few moments.

The dark haired, hook nosed man roused from a slumber. He sat lazily in his chair and interlaced his fingers, studying Harry curiously. Once Harry was sure he had his attention, he asked his first question.

"When did a woman named Sabrina join ranks with the Death Eaters?"

Snape thought for a moment, eyeing Harry curiously as though this were a completely inconsequential matter. "I believe it was … just before Easter. The Dark Lord was impressed with her abilities and promoted her very high up instantly. It rocked the boat some, but she never seemed overly impressive to me," he said impassively.

"So you knew nothing about her background?"

"No, I did not. Was there something of interest?"

Harry sighed and launched into the lengthy story he, Kingsley and Lansing had pieced together over the past few days. "When Voldemort was in Albania, he took up residence with a woman named Amaria; a pure-blooded which who was in hiding from the Ministry there for crimes against Muggle-borns. They grew close, so close in fact that she ended up pregnant just before Voldemort returned to Britain," Harry explained.

Dumbledore's eyes widened curiously, and Snape actually stood up from his chair. "She's lying… there's no possible way he could-"

"He did… and Sabrina was that result," Harry said. He explained how carefully she infiltrated the Ministry, timing it so perfectly that everyone was too busy paying attention to the war to notice the suspicions that surrounded her. She joined the Death Eaters and revealed herself to Voldemort, who began teaching her advanced Dark Arts, including how he made his Horcruxes. They had been able to piece together a partial story from Narcissa Malfoy's testimony and memories, and a few questions from Proudfoot. It sounded as though Voldemort had named her the heir to his empire in Britain, while he planned to spread his reign through other countries.

After his downfall, Sabrina had gathered the remaining Death Eaters and recruited a few new members. They formulated the plans to poison groups of Muggles to keep the Aurors and Ministry distracted while they assumed power. Voldemort's ashes were stolen from the Ministry, and Sabrina developed the ritual based on what Voldemort had told her Wormtail had done to give him back his body.

"She intended to perform it earlier, but after the coordinated attacks on all of us failed, she got so angry that she set the Dementors on all her followers," Harry said.

"That was well thought out," Snape muttered.

"Well, after that, it all came down to her getting us to that cave and attempting the ritual. But… it failed, and I'm confused as to why. He was alive through her, wasn't he? Wasn't she like a Horcrux?" he asked, turning to Dumbledore.

"No… no, she wasn't," Dumbledore said. "Of course, Voldemort would see it that way, but children have their own individual souls. They share biological blood and traits, but they are not extensions of their parents," He explained.

"Well… that ritual brought something back," Harry said, explaining the hands that latched onto Sabrina and the eventual death she suffered by the potion suffocating and imploding upon her.

"Well… adding the ashes would have added a piece of Voldemort; not a soul, but a piece of his evil. That piece obviously would have done anything to become living, but she hadn't completed the spell so it was unable to take her soul and make it its own, which is why she was killed by it," Dumbledore said. "Whatever she created tried to take her body for its own, which goes against everything she had planned and every law of nature in place."

Harry sighed. "Will it always be like this? Will Voldemort always follow me through my life?"

"No, Harry, it will not," Dumbledore said kindly. "Though this was a shock to me, I will admit… but from what you have told me, it is over. I am sure you must feel like you are cursed and will be hunted; and yes, there will always be evil waiting in the wings – especially in your chosen profession – but Voldemort is gone; and Sabrina's exploits prove that he cannot be brought back."

Harry nodded, smiling to himself. "Well it makes a bit more sense now, though it probably won't ever make complete sense," he mused.

"Nothing ever does, Potter," Snape muttered quietly, sitting back in his chair.

Harry looked up at the black eyes that were watching him curiously. "Sir… thank you, for everything," Harry said quietly. Snape merely nodded and closed his eyes to resume sleep.

Harry inhaled deeply and sighed, "I suppose I should get back to Mungo's before the Medi-Witch comes after me," he said with a laugh. McGonnagall nodded and stood up to shake his hand, but Dumbledore called out to him before they reached the fireplace.

"Harry… you may want to check the deep corners of your vault at Gringotts," he said lightly, his eyes twinkling. "I do believe your parents may have left you more than gold. Give Ms. Granger, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Weasley our regards, will you?"

Harry chuckled lightly. "Of course, thank you, sir," he replied. He stepped into the fireplace and vanished out of sight.


	38. Look No Further

Look No Further

Look No Further - Dido

* * *

Ginny woke again, except this time the room was completely quiet. The bed she lay in was much more comfortable, and a small ray of sunlight was peeking through her window. She sighed and stretched slowly, noting the pain in her abdomen was considerably better than the last time she had attempted this.

"Hi," a low voice whispered. Ginny rolled over to see Harry sitting on the edge of her bed, leaning against the wall. They were in her old room at The Burrow, and he was clean shaven and much less pale than the last time she had seen his face.

Ginny smiled and reached out for him. Harry slid closer to her and interlaced his fingers with hers. "How are you feeling?" he asked quietly.

"Better… I'm not so sore," Ginny replied. "How did I get home?"

"I convinced Kingsley to talk the healers into letting you come home. You still have to take all of those," he explained, indicating a row of potions that lay on her nightstand, "but you can at least be home."

"This feels weird, it's not so much my home anymore," she replied, looking around.

Harry smiled. "Well, for your parents' sake I brought you here. Ron and Hermione are staying here as well. They're both on a similar regimen, because whatever they took is still somewhat active; every now and then they'll lose their thoughts and just go blank. It's a little amusing," he confessed.

Ginny shook her head. "How ridiculous was all that?"

"Ridiculous enough; but it's over," Harry said.

"Really?"

"Really."

Ginny sighed, and attempted to sit up; wincing as the pain in her abdomen shot through her. Harry assisted her and helped her become seated more comfortably; he moved closer to her and placed his hands against her face, examining her closely.

"I'm so sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? You in no way intended for any of this to happen," she said. "But like you said… it's over," she reminded him, pressing her own palm against his cheek.

Harry leaned in and kissed her lightly on the forehead, then the nose, and finally her lips. His kiss was gentle; she could sense he was trying to be careful with her.

"I'm not breakable," she whispered.

Harry smiled. "Well… until you cease being a potion addict," he teased, "I'm going to be careful with you, like it or not."

Ginny smiled and chuckled lightly. "I'm assuming no Quidditch," she said.

"Nope… you're out for the rest of the season, Gwenog's orders. But she expects you back in the fall," Harry explained.

"Well, that will give us enough time to get away for a while… right? I could use a holiday," she said, laying back against her pillows.

Harry sighed. "There's something I'd actually like to do before that," he said.

"What?" Ginny asked, eyeing him curiously.

Harry grinned and reached into his pocket. He took her hand in his, she felt something very small fall into her palm and then he released her hand and watched her closely.

Ginny opened her hand to see a very small, but very beautiful, ring lying in it. It was simple; the gold band surrounded a small round diamond, offset by two even smaller ones. "Harry… where did you find this?" she whispered, examining it closely.

"It was my mum's," he explained, his voice full of constricted emotion. He pulled out a book and laid it on her lap, opening to a picture of his parents on their wedding day. Ginny looked closely at Lily Potter and could see the same ring upon her finger as she waved from inside the pages.

"How?" Ginny asked incredulously.

Harry shrugged. "I went to McGonagall's office to talk about everything, and Dumbledore told me to check the corners of my vault. There it was; I don't know when it was put in there but… I'm glad someone did," he said with a smile.

"It's very pretty," Ginny whispered.

"So are you," he replied. Ginny looked up and smiled. Harry took her hands in his and knelt down on the floor. "I imagined doing this in a much more extravagant way; but then I remembered when you kissed me on my seventeenth birthday, in this room… and I remember thinking how much being with you is like something from another life," he explained. "I want that life, Ginny."

"Me too," she whispered.

"Marry me?" asked Harry.

Ginny smiled and pressed her lips to his. "Of course," she whispered back.

Six Months Later…

"I'm not so sure this was the best idea any of us have ever had," Hermione said as she laced up the back of Ginny's white gown. It was strapless, covered in beading, and laced up the back like a corset. Ginny's long red hair was curled intricately curled and tumbled loosely around her shoulders.

"Why do you say that?" Ginny asked, as she leaned toward the mirror and finished putting mascara on her eyes. She watched Hermione put on her shoes, which were beige and offset her spring green dress perfectly. Hermione's hair was pulled up into a loose knot at the crown of her head, a few strands hanging loosely around her face.

"I think your poor mother might cry herself to pieces," She had run into Molly early that morning, who was looking at Ginny's dress and tiara, crying said shaking her head.

"My babies, they're j-j-just… all grown up now… it's so happy," she sniffed when Hermione had asked her what was wrong.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "She acts like we're all going to disappear off the face of the Earth just because we're married!"

"Well, there have been a lot of announcements and plans lately. I think she's a bit overwhelmed," Hermione said kindly, watching as Ginny nodded in agreement.

It had been a busy few months. Harry and Ginny had announced their engagement the day she finished taking her potion regimen, to the surprise of no one. "It's about bloody time," Ron teased after hugging Harry and clapping him on the back. February and March had passed, consuming both Hermione and Ginny with wedding plans. In April, Percy and his girlfriend, Audrey, had announced their engagement to a somewhat surprised crowd.

"No sense in waiting when you've found someone perfect," Percy had explained. Mrs. Weasley had hugged them both and everyone cheered and congratulated them. Ginny had been impressed with how well Audrey had handled her rowdy family; she'd only seen them a few times and fit right in with the teasing and raucous atmosphere.

"I get enough at the Ministry; this is nothing," she said with a smile when Ginny asked her about it.

Hermione and Ron exchanged vows in a small ceremony on May nineteenth, choosing to wed at the Burrow since it was so close to where everyone lived. A gazebo had been erected and a canopy draped over the garden, and unbeknownst to them all, George had in his spare time garnered a license and demanded to perform the ceremony. Ron and Hermione said simple vows, both of them varying between tears and laughter as they recited their chosen words of love and commitment.

"I wish I could had the ability to express how extremely overjoyed I am to finally… _finally_… pronounce you two bonded for life," George said with a grin as he tapped Ron and Hermione's interlaced fingers with his wand. A flicker of sparkles fell from the tip and wrapped themselves around their hands, glowing brightly for a second before fading away. "And kiss her for Merlin's sake; everyone's tired of seeing me blather on," he teased.

Ron and Hermione laughed; she took his face in her hands as he wrapped her arms around her waist and kissed her, lifting her off her feet as the small crowd cheered.

Hermione's dress was simple: spaghetti straps held up the hourglass shaped dress that hugged her curves gently. They criss-crossed down her back until meeting up again with the satin fabric, which was low cut and showed off her shoulders and back nicely. Hermione had asked Ginny, Angelina, and Fleur to stand beside her, complementing Ron's choice of Harry, George and Bill nicely. Harry's toast the beginning of dinner brought laughter to the crowd as well as tears.

"There are several memories I have where I distinctly remember thinking to myself that I would eventually be the third wheel with you two. One was after the Yule ball our fourth year, when you were fighting and Hermione said something along the lines of 'next time ask me before someone else does,' and Ron … you looked like you'd been clubbed in the head," Harry explained with a chuckle while the crowd laughed.

"The second was in sixth year during Herbology, when you were arguing about Slughorn's party and Hermione implied that Ron would rather have her hook up with someone else. There was this uncomfortable silence before Ron said 'no I wouldn't' in which I tried to make as much noise as possible to drown out the conversation. It was then that I thought 'well, it's only a matter of time.'"

"But the moment I fully realized that someday we'd all be sitting here, watching you two exchange vows and kiss again and again, actually came at a completely random moment," Harry said, his voice growing quiet. "We had just escaped from the Ministry, and Ron… you were hurt. We got you back in the tent, and you started asking if someone we had impersonated was going to be okay," he said speaking mostly to Ron at first, but then he turned to Hermione. "And Hermione, you just stared at him… and I'll never forget the expression on your face. We'd been friends since we were eleven, and you've always been kind and sensitive and all those things… but the way you looked at him then… I felt like I had walked in on you professing your love for him," Harry explained, watching as Hermione blushed.

"I know everyone teases you two about fighting like a married couple for years – which you did, don't get me wrong," he continued, pausing while everyone laughed lightly, "but the teasing has only come because I think we've all been waiting for this moment as much as you two have. It's good… and for me there's nothing better than seeing my two best friends so happy. So … love each other the way you always have, and we'll all be there to watch where you take things from here."

Harry raised his glass as everyone followed suit. He clapped Ron on the back and hugged Hermione tightly when she stood and reached for him. Ginny stood to give her toast, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand before speaking.

"Great… I get to follow that; thanks, Harry," she teased with a wink. Ginny cleared her throat and smoothed out her knee length blue gown before picking up her glass.

"Ron; we're eighteen months apart. Most people would guess that we fight the most, but that's not actually the case. Out of any of these guys, you teased me the least; if anything it was the other way around, and I gave you a hard time," Ginny said, grinning when her mother nodded.

"But that was nothing compared to when Hermione came along. I remember being relieved when everyone figured out your crush on her, because they laid off me and my crush on Harry," she said with a laugh. "But I didn't complain, in fact I joined in because the more you cared for her, the more she came around… and the more I finally had someone I could relate to," Ginny said, smiling at Hermione.

"How many times did we stay up way too damn late talking about who knows what? How many times did I run to you for advice on classes, and boys, and how to deal with people? And I know you feel you did the same to me, but I was flattered that you sought me out; that you saw me as a confidant as much as I saw you as one. In a house full of boys, you were my savior, Hermione. And unlike Harry, I'm not going to out all the times I realized you were in love with my brother, I'm just going to say that he got very lucky when you decided there was more to him than the silly red-haired friend who invited you to stay for the summer," she grinned.

"Have a happy life, you two. We'll be there and we'll be part of it… but when were not, make lots of love and lots of happiness so we can share in it the way we always have," Ginny said raising her glass. She hugged Hermione tightly, and gave Ron a tight squeeze when he approached her as well.

Everyone was eager to talk to Ron and Hermione, but as the evening went on the two of them found themselves longing to be alone and only in each other's company.

"I've had enough," Ron whispered against Hermione's bare shoulder. "Are you packed?"

"I've been packed since Thursday," she replied with a grin.

Ron kissed the skin of her neck and hugged her tightly. "Good… let's go," he said hungrily, pressing his lips to hers lightly.

"Shouldn't we say good bye?" Hermione asked, looking at the crowd around them. George, Harry, Bill and Tim were talking loudly; Angelina and Fleur were sitting by Andromeda Tonks and Mrs. Weasley being entertained by Teddy and Victiore. Everyone in the crowd had an activity and seemed distracted, but were they distracted enough to not notice Ron and Hermione sneak off to fetch their trunks before Apparating to Southhampton to take a ferry to Cherbourg, where their secluded cottage awaited them by the sea…

"Ahem," Ginny coughed lowly, causing both Ron and Hermione to jump. "Harry and I took the liberty of sending your trunks to Cherbourg earlier this afternoon; you can thank Tim and his hook up in the Department for Magical Transportation for making it so easy," she said with a grin. "Also, no need to Apparate to Southhampton, just go to Grimmauld Place and take the Floo Network straight to your cottage; we'll shut off the link when we get home."

Hermione grinned broadly while Ron sputtered. "Did you become a legilimens and not tell us?" he asked.

"Go…" she said, shoving them toward The Burrows gates. "I'll cover for you, and we'll see you in two weeks then."

Ron smiled and punched her lightly in the arm; Hermione beamed and hugged her tightly, "Thanks, Ginny. See you soon." Hermione walked inside the tent to grab a small bag she had carried with her, before joining Ron outside and grinning while they walked hand in hand toward the gates. As they passed by the edge of the Marquee, they heard a low whistle and turned to see Harry smirking as they walked off; Ginny had moved next to him and was resting her head on his shoulder watching them step away.

"Catch," Harry said, tossing a flask in Ron's direction. He caught it and gave him a quizzical look. "It's for Hermione, not you… Ginny says you'll need it because you tend to forget…" he said curiously, glancing down at Ginny who biting her lip to refrain from giggling.

Hermione opened the flask and peered inside at the purple liquid, throwing her head back and laughing loudly. "Good call… I did forget. Thanks, Ginny," she said with a smile. She tugged Ron toward the edge of the Burrow and they disappeared from sight.

It was now June ninth; Hermione and Ron had returned from a two week holiday and had jumped right into the reverse roles they had been assigned when Ginny and Harry had become engaged. "What do you think is more overwhelming? Percy becoming engaged, George and Angelina potentially announcing a baby any day, or us having two weddings only three weeks apart?" Ginny asked lightly as she examined her final appearance.

Hermione chuckled. "I'm not so sure about George and Angelina with the baby, but I do think that having weddings three weeks apart might be a bit of a stretch," she said gently, watching as Ginny frowned. "It's fine… I think your Mum is just overjoyed and emotional about the whole thing."

Ginny sighed as Hermione tied the final strip of fabric into place. "Thanks… how is it?" she asked turning in a circle.

"You're beautiful, as usual," Hermione replied with a grin. "I can't get over how excited I am!"

"Neither can I," Ginny teased, smiling as Hermione approached her for a quick hug. Fleur came into the room at that moment with Victiore, who was dressed in an identical version of Ginny's dress to walk down the aisle with Teddy.

"Ginny, you look beautiful!" Fleur gushed, hugging Ginny tightly. Victiore toddled behind her, examining the beading on her dress curiously while the three women began to gush over how cute she and Teddy would be.

Downstairs Harry was having a conversation with Teddy that was testing his ability to refrain from laughing.

"But she's a girl!" the three-year-old was protesting. Ron stood snickering in the corner with George, Bill and Tim while Harry hung his head and bit his lip to keep from chuckling himself. "Why can't I just walk in front of her, or behind her?"

"Teddy," Harry said in a soothing voice. "It's only a few feet, and Victiore can't walk very well so she needs your help getting down the aisle."

"But … but what if someone thinks I like her?"

"You don't like her?" Ron asked.

"She's nice… she's my friend… but she's not a_ girlfriend_ like you have," the three-year-old replied with a shudder.

"Well, then help your friend walk and that will be that," Harry said. "Ginny will really like it, and everyone will be so proud of how you helped out."

Teddy sighed. "Okay… okay. But just this once! She's wearing the same dress Ginny is, and I don't want anyone to think we're getting married," he said shaking his head.

Harry lost his resolve and laughed out loud. He patted Teddy on the shoulder and stood up. George offered to take Teddy flying around the Burrow one more time before the wedding started and the little man ran after him excitedly, Bill and Tim following and talking lightly. Harry stood and examined himself in the mirror while Ron watched from the corner.

"Ready?" Ron asked.

Harry smiled and looked at Ron in the mirror. "Ready for the ceremony or your honeymoon advice?"

Ron cringed but laughed lightly. "What about my job to threaten you a few more times since you're marrying my sister?"

Harry grinned. "Threaten away, mate; it's all empty promises."

"True," Ron conceded. "But it's because we don't have to worry about it. You two will be good to each other."

Harry nodded and stared at his shoes before reaching into the pocket of his dress robes and pulling out two rings. He had taken Ginny's affinity charm and his mother's wedding ring to a Goblin Jeweler and had them altered into one piece of jewelry. The bracelet now framed the ring, the image of Harry's patronus still visible on either side of the gold band. Ginny hadn't seen it yet but was aware of what he had done and anxious to see the result. Harry would be moving the ring that was his portion of the Affinity charm to the third finger on his left hand, where it would stay for all eternity.

"Did you find that journal?" Ron asked suddenly in a conspiratorial whisper.

Harry laughed. "Yeah, I did. Thanks for telling me about that. She's going to kill me but it'll be great," he said with a grin, watching as Ron threw his head back and roared with laughter.

Twenty minutes later Harry was standing under the Marquee with Kingsley – who had asked specifically to do the vows – watching the crowd get settled around them. Tim had ushered Ron's Aunt Muriel to her seat and was walking away shaking his head and laughing at her proclamation that American Wizards were considerably shabbier than the British. Lansing was talking animatedly to Andromeda Tonks, who was watching Teddy mess with his dress robes and scowl at the procession.

At the back of the crowd under the tent, Harry could see Neville and Hannah standing hand in hand talking to Luna, who had arrived two days previously and surprised Ginny so much she had started to cry.

"I can't believe you came," Ginny had sniffed, wiping her face with her hands as she hugged Luna tightly. "You were in Romania, weren't you?"

"The Czech Republic actually," Luna said lightly, patting Ginny on the head. "And of course I came back; I couldn't miss your wedding. Besides, Snorkacks can wait a few days."

"Any luck with your research?" Hermione asked when Luna had moved to hug her.

"Nothing so far," Luna sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if daddy exaggerated a bit, but we'll see."

Hermione had laughed and squeezed Luna tightly before they went inside and continued their discussion of what had happened since she had been abroad.

The music started to play and Bill and Fleur walked up the aisle, followed shortly after by George and Angelina and finally Ron and Hermione. When Mr. and Mrs. Weasley appeared, Harry walked forward to escort her to her seat.

"Harry, dear," said Molly quietly, "I can't even … put into words how happy I am to welcome you into our family," she sniffed hugging him tightly.

"Haven't I always been family?" Harry asked.

Molly chuckled lightly and wiped her eyes. "Of course; but now it's on paper. I'm so happy for you two," she said, patting his shoulder and mopping her eyes.

Harry grinned and hugged her tightly again before stepping back up to the alter as the music changed again. He watched and laughed along with the crowd as Teddy and Victoire walked up the aisle; Teddy holding the little girl's hand as she stumbled along, grinning from ear to ear with her basket of flowers. As soon as they reached the front, Teddy dropped her hand and ran to stand next to Harry while Victiore toddled over to Molly and took a seat on her lap.

"Good job," Harry whispered, giving Teddy a squeeze on the shoulder as he smiled proudly.

The crowd stood and turned toward the back of the tent as Ginny stepped into the aisle, arm in arm with her father and grinning broadly. Harry inhaled and sighed happily; still amazed at how she constantly stunned him with her beauty. Her long red hair was softly curled and laid against her shoulders; and bright brown eyes seemed to glow brighter with every step she took. She and her father were whispering to each other as they approached, and when they reached where Harry stood, she beamed at him as he reached for her hand.

Ginny closed her eyes and hugged her father tightly before he gave her hand to Harry, listening as the latter whispered "thank you," very quietly and her father responded with the same sentiments. Harry grinned and squeezed her hand as she stepped up to the altar with him, her heart fluttering with excitement as the music ceased and Kingsley cleared his throat.

Kingsley said a few sentiments about watching Harry and Ginny grow from teenagers into adults and find each other through all the trials they faced, explaining that their relationship was another example of the power of love withstanding the power of darkness. When it was time for them to say their vows, Ginny chose to go first and blushed brightly before starting to speak.

"One of the most interesting things about you, Harry, is that you were pulled away from all of us for so long, but yet, you managed to become an irreplaceable and wonderful part of all of our lives," she began, looking into Harry's eyes and blushing as he gazed back intensely. "You seem to forget this at times, and that's when you try to pull yourself away from us; but we won't let you.

"And you told me once that you see me as a little rock in a world of chaos, but really it's the opposite; aside from having six brothers to make me tough, you taught me to be strong, and to never give up, and to keep fighting for what you want no matter what the costs. You helped me turn into something you can rely on, and I love you for that," she explained, her voice cracking a bit as she spoke.

"I love you for your bravery, and your kindness, and for the fact that you can be completely arrogant one second and then the next minute so humble it takes my breath away. I love you; and I promise to always try to be the little rock that holds you to our world," she said with a grin.

Harry smiled back and squeezed her hands, feeling very small as he stood in front of her. He finally cleared his throat and dug in his pockets for the piece of paper he had torn from her journal that Ron had found amongst her old things.

"I want to read something first, it's something I didn't write," he explained, watching her eye him curiously. He cleared his throat again and began to read.

"January eighteenth nineteen-nintey-four," Harry began.

"No…" Ginny sighed, grinning in spite of herself as she buried her face in her hands; Harry smiled and continued on.

"'It feels strange to do this, considering what happened the last time I wrote in a journal, but here goes… It's official, I love him. I love Harry Potter. Me and about five hundred thousand other girls probably, and all of them are prettier, and more outgoing, and much more fanciable than I could ever hope to be. He says hi to me, and he talks to me every now and then when he's with Ron… but I can't say anything back! As soon as he turns those beautiful eyes on me, I freeze up! It's pathetic,'" Harry read, laughing as Ginny groaned and shook her head.

"'He's so brave, so kind, loyal, and wonderful and amazing and handsome and… AGH! He's perfect… and he'll never see me as anything other than Ron's shy, goofy, obscure sister. I talked to Hermione about it, she says that Harry sees me and tells me to be myself around him. How can I be myself? He's so good and popular and everyone likes him… and I'm just me,'" Harry quoted before folding the piece of paper back in half and sticking it in his pockets. He took Ginny's hands in his and squeezed them, chuckling as she gave him an angry glare.

"First, I don't think there is a single woman out there who is prettier, or more outgoing, or more fanciable than you are; they pale in comparison. Is fanciable a word? If not, it is now… it'll be in the Ginny Weasley dictionary," Harry teased while everyone chuckled lightly.

"Second, you mentioned in this entry that I'd never see you as anything but Ron's little sister. When I finally woke up and realized what I had right in front of me, I was tortured by the fact that you were my best friend's sister… because I didn't think he'd ever let me look at you let alone kiss you the way I wanted to. That was partially the reason I hid it for so long, and I owe all your brothers a huge thank you for not attacking me when it finally did come out how I felt," he explained, watching as she grinned widely and her family laughed.

"And third… that list of things that you think I am: brave, kind, loyal… those aren't descriptions, they're expectations. And Ginny, I promise to try as hard as I can to live up to each and every one of those every single day that we're together. I love you," said Harry, smiling as Ginny pressed her lips together and swallowed, trying to keep the tears that had welled up in her eyes from spilling out onto her cheeks.

Kingsley smiled and motioned for Harry to hand him the rings. He said the traditional vows, after which Ginny and Harry both responded "I will" before slipping the rings onto the other's finger.

"It is a great pleasure and honor to say this," said Kingsley with a smile as Harry and Ginny gripped each other's hands tightly, "I now pronounce you bonded for life. Kiss your wife, Harry."

The crowd chuckled as Ginny stepped into Harry's open arms, pressing her lips to his and holding him tightly. Harry sighed and lifted her off her feet, feeling relief flood through is body as the crowd cheered around him. He was home.

* * *

_A/N: I've loved the reviews, I love the feedback, and I loved writing this. It brought back so much passion in me. I could continue and continue, and don't be surprised if you see a random outtake or various epilogue to this story ;). But... I'm on to my next project which I'm enjoying also. Thank you Thank you Thank you to Sierra, my invaluable and supportive beta, and to everyone who reviewed and continued to give me feedback. I've taken it all in and hope that my next project will be even better. _


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